The old name for scrofula, today described as tuberculosis of the lymph nodes of the neck. It was believed that the king's touch cured it, a rite of English and French monarchs that included a gold coin and prayers. In England, the gift was attributed to Edward the Confessor, king from 1042 to 1066. Since the disease often regresses on its own, the touch seemed effective. The last English touch took place in 1714.
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