A Brief Account of Valentine Greatrak's and divers of the Strange Cures by him lately performed.

Written by himself in a Letter addresssed to the Hon. Robert Boyle. Whereunto are annexed the Testimonials of several eminent and worthy Persons of the chief Matters of Fact therein related. Original edition. Folding portrait of the author effecting a cure, by W. Faithorne. London, printed for J. Starkey, 1666.

"The earliest scientific account, by a practitioner, and corroborated by witnesses, of healing by the "laying-on of hands". Greatrakes became known as "the Irish stroker" because of his method of healing by stroking the affected part. He recognized the limited types of conditions which stroking could treat, and was a sincere and well-meaning practitioner. He wrote the above work to defend himself against charges that he was a charlatan" (Morton's Medical Bibliography, Fifth Edition, Edited by Jeremy M. Norman)..

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