ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 171, 19 July 1907, Page 2

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

(Contributed.)

The Auckland Centre of the Association is again haying a most successful season. Dr Eleanor isaker is giving first aid lectures to the ladies of the central class and to the lady pupils at the Training College; Dr. vrrattan Guinness to ladies at Devonport; Dr. McDougall to ladies at the Leys Institute, Ponsonby; Dr. Tresidder to ladies and to men at Onehunga; Dr. Murray to men at the office oi the centre; and Dr. Dudley to the male pupils at the Training College. Excellent work is being done in the goldfield towns, as lectures are being given at Thames, Paeroa, Karangahake, and Waihi.

The other side of the work of the Association—the procuring of ambulance material—is proceeding satisfactorily. Ashford litters have recently . been imported for Onehunga, Waihi, Calliope Dock, and Masterton, and one has been ordered for Dargaville. Some people may not be aware that an outlay of twenty pounds is sufficient to pro'eure one oi these admirable vehicles, on which to convey those suffering from accident or illness to the hospital or their home with the minimum of discomforture to the patient. A Lowmoor jacket has recently been imported for Karangahake. This is an ingenious arrangement of straps, by which the victim of an accident in a mine .or the hold of a ship can be attached to a stretcher in a perpendicular posicion, and drawn up to the surface, where the space is so limited that the stretcher cannot be raised in a horizontal position. The cost of this useful appliance is only 30/. Though so much good work is being done, much more requires to be done. We. have a well equipped fire brigade stations and trained firemen. We'require a properly equipped ambulance station and efficiently trained ambulance men. The present system is eminently unsatisfactory. The ambulance waggons are now sent out with no one in charge except the driver, who knows nothing about | lifting or attending to the patient. The Auckland Centre has a building' fund, which was started by Bishop Neligan, who gave a. donation of £5. and the balance in the Auckland Savings Bank is now £91. In order to obtain funds with which to build and equip a proper ambulance station, it is proposed to inaugurate in October next the institution of Ambulance Saturday, which has been so successful in other cities. Ladies will be stationed at the principal street corners and the starting places of the tramcars and ferry-boats, provided with collecting boxes, in which to receive donations. This gives all classes of the community the opportunity of contributing according to their means—copper, silver, or gold. Anyone who recognises the good work of the Association, and does not I wish to wait till October, can send eoni tributions to Mr. J. ,T. Holland, of CjtyI road, the chairman of the committee, Mr. :C. J. Tunks, of Shortland-street, the honorary treasurer, or Mr. William Rattray, of Mercantile Chambers, the secretary.