The Ambulance: A History - Tapa dura

This book reviews 800 years of ambulance development, looking not only at the vehicles themselves, but also telling the stories of the men and women who served on them and who created the medical systems in which they operated. The purpose of the book is two-fold. First, it attempts to explain, not merely describe, ambulance evolution by critically examining its political, economic, and social influences.Second, it aims to introduce topics omitted from previous works, including the critical role played by police ambulances in the development of the first emergency medical services, a concise history of the ambulance intern, notable women in ambulance development, and a fresh look at the first organized paramedic services. It also provides an in-depth explanation of why the emergency ambulance was perfected in the United States during the late 1860s instead of in the more promising venues of Europe (where modern ambulance services had been created nearly a century earlier.) Over 200 photographs and line drawings accompany the text, helping to define the visual evolution of the ambulance alongside an historical account of its development.

A psychiatrist and former district attorney, Ryan Corbett Bell spent the seven months prior to entering medical school visiting numerous hospitals, clinics, leper colonies, and infirmaries throughout the world, all of which piqued his interest in medical history and the ways in which care is delivered. He lives in Seattle, Washington.