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What physical illnesses and disabilities affected Samuel Johnson during childhood?
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Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Samuel Johnson’s childhood was marked by several significant physical afflictions. By his own account, he was born "almost dead" and early in life contracted scrofula—a form of tuberculosis affecting the lymphatic glands, historically known as the king's evil.1
At 30 months old, he was taken to London to be touched by the queen in a ritual believed to cure the condition. Subsequent medical treatments for his ailments left him with permanent, disfiguring scars on his face and neck. Additionally, Johnson was nearly blind in his left eye and exhibited noticeable tics that may have been symptoms of Tourette syndrome. Despite these early health struggles, he grew to be a tall, vigorous, and physically strong man.1