In the late 19th century, while delivering a prominent lecture, Sir William Osler, regarded by many as the father of modern medicine, made a huge mistake.
Speaking in front of a class of aspiring doctors, Osler described patients with “recurring paroxysms of severe, even agonising cardiac pain.” In men, these symptoms were typical of angina, he explained.
However, these same symptoms in women usually prompted a diagnosis of ‘pseudo-angina’. Anxiety was a hallmark of this condition, according to the case reports he cited:
“Miss C, aged twenty-two years… is evidently a high-strung, nervous girl.”
“Miss A, aged twenty-two years, belongs to a nervous family, and she has never been very strong.”
