Originally published in 1992, this volume looks in detail at the important relationship, initially studied in 1871 by Bowditch, between the strength of the heartbeat and the interval between beats. The book draws together the work and experience of leading international research workers in this field. Collectively, the contributors illuminated the underlying mechanisms involved, their expression in both isolated muscle and the intact heart, and speculate on further avenues of research. The volume will be of interest to cardiologists, physiologists and all those concerned with the function of the heart.