Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-19
Peter Pellegrini and Wife Bring
Action In District Court
Against DR.. Burroughs
ALLEGE SURGICAL NEGLIGENCE
Mrs. PeIlesrini Asks Judgement for
$4,000 for Damages Sustained, and
Her Husband Wants 1,5oo-opera-
ton for Tumor Said to Have Been
Entirely Unnecessary.

4
DR.. E. S. Burroughs, Of this city, on
tof the most prominent of Iowa sur
Igeons, is made defendant in suit TO,
damages, filed in the district court fol
tho March term. The plaintiffs in thI
faction are Emerelda Pel'egrini and Pc
tier Pellegrini, her husband. Malprac-
itiee and negligence in diagnosing s
trouble with which Mrs. Pellegrini was
supposed to be suffering are the causes
for the suit Two petitions are filed
damages and In the other the husband
| seeks to recover $1,000.
! The suit is considerably out of the
|ordinary in actions of like nature
Mrs. Pellegrini alleges in her petition
that about Dec. 1, 1902, upon consulta-
ton with DR.. Burroughs. she was in
formed that she was afflicted with q
dangerous tumor, which would necessi-
tate a surgical operation, and unless
Immediately performed she would prob
ably lose her life. At the defendants
| suggestion she was taken to hospital
where, on Dec. 20, 1902, she submitted
! to the operation. When the incision
was made, however, it was learned that
the patient was pregnant, and that
there was no existence Of tumor.
Mrs. Pellegrini alleges that as a re-
suit of the operation she suffered great
distress, humiliation, mental and bod
lily anguish, and was male severely Ill,
lpecessitating confinement to her bed
for several weeks. She also claims to
have been partially and permanently
injured and that all is due solely to
the negligence and lack of skill OF the
defendant.
prays for a Judgment OF $500 damages
for loss of companionship of his wife.
DR.. Burroughs Side.
DR.. Burroughs side of the story.
which will be brought out in court, will
in all probability have the effect of
vindicating his professional ability. He
was seen today, but refused to say any
thing one way or another futher than
to state that when the case came to
trial the facts would be given.
From friends of Dr. Burroughs, who
are perfectly familiar with the case.
it is learned that the case came to him
thru consultation, Mrs. Pellegrinis
physician having pronounced her trou
BILE a fibroid tumor. DR.. Burroughs
made examination and could not deter
mine definitely the exact nature CT the
trouble. He gave as his opinion that
pregnancy might be responsible. and
yet there might be the presence of a
.umor. AS the woman had given his
tory of pregnancy nine months pre-
vious to the time she was examined,
she was not of the opinion that that
was again responsible Neither was
her husband. In order to ascertain the
exact cause of the trouble DR.. Bur-
roughs agreed to make an exploratory
incision. perfectly harmless operation,
under the use of the present day ascep-
tics. In order to make as nearly sure
as possible, previous to the operation
ballottement was used, also stetho-
scope, to ascertain whether the beat
ing of the fetal heart could be dis
cerned. Nothing would indicate preg-
nancy, and the last measure, the use OF
a sound, was resorted to, for fear OF
producing an abortion should preg-
nancy be found to exist The exp1ora-
tory incision was then made and the
true condition ascertained. Mrs. Pel-
legrini was delivered of healthy, well
formed child at the proper time.
DIR. Burroughs friends claim that
professional jealousy on the part of
other surgeons of the city is RESPONSE
ble for the action being brought, and
nothing else.
Two More Divorces.
The divorce docket for the March
term gives promise OF being heavy,
even tho cases in other branches of the
law are not so heavy as usual. Two
more petitions for divorce have been
flee.
May c. Richardson, of Gilman, is
plaintiff in an action against her hus-
band, Ben F. Richardson, to whom she
was married at Gilman on Feb. H. 1901.
She lived with him, 50 her petition
states, until the following November,
Their married life was not very happy,
Mrs. Richardson claiming that she was
cruelty and inhumanly treated at di-
yers times. On one occasion she claims
her husband threatened ner life with
revolverl and that because of her i'll
treatment her health was greatly i'm
paired. The plaintiff also accuses her
husband of having been guilty of adul-
terry with one Miss Manning, Of this
city, and other persons unknown to the
plaintiff. Mrs. Richardson asks the
custody of her minor daughter. Es
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