A story of heartache: the understanding of angina pectoris in the pre-surgical period

This paper traces the understanding of angina pectoris over two centuries from its first description by William Heberden, emphasising the Scottish dimension in this process. Such a retrospect is appropriate at a time when natural disasters in several parts of the world are drawing attention to their effect in increasing the incidence of heart attacks.

Keywords History, angina, heart disease, cardiology, Scottish medicine

Declaration of Interests  No conflict of interests declared.