 The touch was originally meant to cure tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis ( commonly referred to as scrofula or the King 's Evil ) , rheumatism , convulsions , fevers , blindness , goitre and other ailments . Since the reign of Elizabeth I ( r . 1558 – 1603 ) , however , the touch was applied only to people suffering from scrofula . The Henrician practice was rarely modified , and the changes were minor ; Elizabeth I made the sign of the cross above the infected person 's head , while her squeamish successor , James I ( r . 1603 – 1625 ) , made stroking motions above the abscesses instead of actually touching them . 
