c. 1666
Portrait of Valentine Greatrakes, Esq.
Artist/maker unknownPopularly known as "The Stroker," Valentine Greatrakes (Irish, 1629-1683) developed a wide following in Ireland and England with the claim that he was able to heal scrofula and other maladies by touch alone. Scrofula, characterized by a chronic enlargement and degeneration of the lymphatic glands of the neck, was once known as the "King's Evil." Believed to be curable by the "King's Touch," a durable superstition that began in the eleventh century, it was mainly practiced by English and French kings.
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