Collins v. Hand

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Jones,

Julia Collins, suffering from an extreme nervous condition, entered Hahnemann Hospital, Philadelphia, on October 27, 1959, on the service of Dr. J. B. Donaldson. Dr. Donaldson, deciding that her condition required psychiatric care, called in Dr. B. Marvin Hand, a Board certified psychiatrist and neurologist.

After an examination of Miss Collins, Dr. Hand concluded that she was suffering from agitated depression 1 and he recommended that she submit to electroshock treatments. Since Hahnemann Hospital was not equipped to administer these treatments, Miss Collins was…