Angina Pectoris by Harlow Brooks is a compact physician’s monograph published as part of the Harper’s Medical Monographs series in 1929. Written specifically for practicing physicians, the work attempts to synthesize the historical understanding, pathological theories, symptomatology, and treatment approaches surrounding angina pectoris during the late interwar period — just before the explosion of modern cardiology, cardiac catheterization, and evidence-based coronary disease management.

Brooks, a prominent New York physician and professor of clinical medicine, presents angina not merely as a symptom, but as a dramatic and complex syndrome demanding careful clinical observation. The text reflects a fascinating transitional era in medicine: physicians clearly recognized the seriousness and classic presentation of coronary disease, yet still lacked many of the diagnostic tools and therapies that modern clinicians now take for granted.

Particularly interesting are discussions of “toxic angina,” in which excessive tobacco, coffee, and tea consumption were proposed as causes of angina-like syndromes. The monograph also illustrates the enormous uncertainty surrounding the pathophysiology of coronary pain during the 1920s, with Brooks openly acknowledging the abundance of competing theories and the frustrating lack of consistently effective treatment options.

The volume is bound in dark textured cloth with gilt lettering and includes surviving publisher promotional inserts and advertising material for future medical monographs — ephemera rarely retained in heavily used physician reference books.