ABSTRACT
The lymphatic system was first described by Erasistratus in Alexandria more than 2000 years ago. William Hunter, in the late eighteenth century, was the first to describe the function of the lymphatic system. Starling’s pioneering work on the hydrostatic and haemodynamic forces controlling the movement of fluid across the capillary provided further insights into the function of the lymphatics. However, there is much about the lymphatic system that is not understood and debate continues over the precise aetiology of the most common abnormality of the system, namely lymphoedema.
