Dierman v. Providence Hospital

This is an action for personal injuries allegedly caused by the negligence of defendants. Plaintiff entered defendant hospital for the purpose of having a wart on her nose removed and her tonsils excised; she was completely anesthetized by defendant Treadway; and defendant Libby, a physician and surgeon, used a hot electric needle to remove *292the wart. After the wart had been taken off and as Dr. Libby was cauterizing the wound, there was an explosion, described as a “flash” and a “pop,” above the face (and apparently within the oral and nasal passages) of the unconscious plaintiff and she…