A stretcher or litter used for carrying wounded or sick people, especially in military or medical contexts.
From French 'brancard' (stretcher), derived from Old French 'brance' meaning branch or pole. The word traveled through French from Germanic roots referring to wooden poles or shafts.
The brancard revolutionized medieval warfare—before stretchers, wounded soldiers were often abandoned on battlefields, but organized carrying systems transformed military medicine and survival rates.
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