On April 14, 1938, Cerletti and his colleague Bini gave the first "electrical treatment" for mental illness. Five years earlier, Sakel’s insulin treatment had been introduced in psychiatric clinics, and 3 years earlier, Meduna’s convulsant treatment with cardiazol was developed. Cerletti conceived the idea of replacing these methods with electric current, which was known from animal work to provoke unconsciousness for anesthetic purposes; after the current was used, the animal regained consciousness and remained perfectly healthy. The first treatment was given without complication to a person suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. After one incomplete and 11 complete ECTs, the patient was discharged, declaring himself to be enthusiastic about the treatment. He was able to return to work.