Henri IV of France touching the head of a kneeling man for the king's evil (scrofula). Line engraving.

King's evil is also called scrofula: it can be described as a form of tuberculosis which affected the lymph nodes in the neck. The origin of the term lies in the belief that a royal personage was endowed with healing power directed particularly to this ailment. This tradition lasted in England from Edward the Confessor until the reign of Queen Anne in 1714. It also existed in France