George Joyliffe facts for kids
George Joyliffe was an English doctor and expert in how the body works (an anatomist). He lived a long time ago, from 1621 to 1658. He is famous for helping to discover a special system in our bodies called the lymphatic system. He worked with another scientist named Francis Glisson. They were among the first people to find these important vessels.
Life
Early Life and School
George Joyliffe was born in 1621 in a place called East Stower, Dorsetshire, England. When he was 16, he started studying at Wadham College, Oxford. Later, he moved to Pembroke College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1640 and a master's degree in 1643. For a short time in 1643, he was a lieutenant in the Royal Army. He learned about medicine from a professor named Thomas Clayton. In 1650, he went to Clare Hall, Cambridge and met Francis Glisson. George Joyliffe became a medical doctor (MD) in 1652.
Discovering the Lymphatics
George Joyliffe made a very important discovery about the human body. He told Francis Glisson that besides the usual arteries, veins, and nerves, there was a fourth type of vessel. These vessels were different and carried a watery fluid.
He had found these vessels in many animals and in different parts of the body. He was sure that the fluid inside them moved towards the mesentery, which is a fold of tissue that holds our intestines.
Glisson wrote about Joyliffe's discovery in 1654. This showed that Joyliffe was one of the first to find these special vessels, which are now called lymph ducts. At the same time, two other anatomists, Olaus Rudbeck and Thomas Bartholin, also found similar vessels. Even though Joyliffe didn't publish his discovery himself, his work was very important.
Later Life and Passing
In 1653, George Joyliffe became a candidate at the Royal College of Physicians. He gave talks there about the vasa lymphatica, which are the lymphatic vessels. He became a Fellow of the college in 1658. George Joyliffe lived in London and passed away on November 11, 1658.
