The frustrated benevolence of "Dr. Anonymous"

Shortly after William Heberden published his original description of the clinical features of angina pectoris in 1772, he received an intriguing letter from an unnamed physician who suffered from the disease. The case of "Dr. Anonymous" is significant as the earliest account of ischemic heart disease clearly associated with ventricular arrhythmias. This astute observer not only predicted his own sudden death, but also offered his body in the benevolent hope that autopsy correlation would contribute to the understanding of the cause of angina pectoris.