Tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis

Scrofula (also scrofula, from the Latin scrofula " neck adenoma ") is a rare ailment today that affects preferably toddlers.

Term and symptoms

The affected children have a variety of chronic inflammation - and not infrequently on a proboscis Lippenvorwölbung - for example, the nasal mucosa, the eyelids, the conjunctiva and the neck lymph nodes. Often the scrofula with tuberculosis, general susceptibility to infection or poor hygiene has been associated.

As scrofula a far more extensive disease was called in the Middle Ages, which also included various other neck and face diseases that occurred in adults and in some tracts of land were probably endemic. In today's terminology, the term scrofula is hardly ever used. As a cure folk medicine was the figwort, which therefore received the generic name Scrophularia.

Healing rituals

From about the 13th century to the early modern period was in France and England the idea of legally anointed king could cure scrofula by merely laying ( The King's Evil ). A corresponding healing ritual was in both countries also part of the coronation rites and regularly, sometimes even daily, applied to the sick, often specially traveled from distant areas of the kingdom. The gifted with the power of healing king was also called Thaumaturge. In France, it played since Ludwig X of visiting the grave of the holy Markulf after the coronation an important role. In the 11th century, however, had the kings attributed miraculous abilities. So to have had supernatural healing powers, among others, Robert II of France, and Edward the Confessor attributed miraculous cures.

The skeptical Orange William III. , Which was after the expulsion of the Stuarts in the Glorious Revolution of 1689, King of England, be denied the magic. The only time when he condescended to such contact, he did it with the words: " God give you better health and more sense. " Queen Anne took the ritual once more, her successor, George I ( 1712-27 ) but it ended definitively, because he " too Catholic " was held. In France, for the coronation of King Charles X. Restoration ( 1825-30 ) has been practiced for the last time.