History
Stretchers have been used since antiquity, on battlefields and in emergency situations, where wheeled vehicles are hindered by rough terrain. In their simplest form, they generally consisted of a canvas sling with long edges sewn to themselves to form pockets through with wooden poles could be slid. This form was common with militaries right through the middle of the 20th century, and in disaster situations, where rapid triage and movement of patients based on severity of injuries is critical, they are still used by emergency response providers.
Many stretcher are referred to as "gurneys". The name gurney comes from its similarity to a horse-drawn cab patented in the U.S. in 1883 by J. Theodore Gurney.
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