January 12, 2001

In the aftermath of the Civil War, hospitals in Cincinnati and New York began using horse-drawn ambulances for the transportation of patients. Doctors had noticed the life-saving benefits of such vehicles in military operations and saw the advantages of incorporating such services into civilian medical practice.

In March 1873, the MGH purchased an ambulance from M. Curley, Carriage Manufacturer, of New York for $700. The horse and ambulance were expected to be "kept in readiness for prompt service on call," but seems to have been used also for yard work when not otherwise employed. For many years, a docile animal known affectionately as "Old White Horse" pulled the ambulance. It was said that at night, physicians on call could hear the clopping of his heavy hooves on Beacon Hill cobblestones from many blocks away. The original receipt and an 1873 photo of the horse, driver and ambulance (pictured above) are preserved in the MGH Archives and Special Collections.