iridology

Definition

Iridology, also called iris analysis or iris diagnosis, is the study of the iris (the colored part of the eye). Iris "readings" are made by iridologists to assess a person's health picture (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) and guide them to take measures to improve their health.

Origins

The basic concept of iridology has existed for centuries. The medical school of the University of Salerno in Italy offered training in iris diagnosis. A book published by Philippus Meyers in 1670, called Chiromatica medica, noted that signs in the iris indicate diseases. Dr. Ignatz von Peczely, however, is generally considered the father of iridology, with the date of his discovery given as 1861. Von Peczely was a Hungarian physician. As a child, he accidentally broke an owl's leg. He observed that a black line formed in the owl's lower iris at the time of the injury. After the owl's leg healed, the young von Peczely noted that the black streak had changed appearance. As a physician, he treated a patient with a broken leg in whose eye he observed a black streak in the same location as on the injured owl's iris. Von Peczely became intrigued by the possibility of a connection between diseases and eye markings. Through observing his patients' eyes, he became convinced of this connection and developed a chart that mapped iris-body correlations. After several decades of comparative study, von Peczely mapped organs across zones identified by hours and minutes on a clock face superimposed over drawings of the eyes. In 1881, he published his theories in a book called Discoveries in the Field of Natural Science and Medicine: Instruction in the Study of Diagnosis from the Eye.

A Swedish pastor and homeopath named Nils Liljequist also developed the concept of iris-body correlations at roughly the same time but independently of von Peczely's work. He was the first iridologist to identify the effects of such drugs as iodine and quinine on the iris. Liljequist based his initial observations on changes in his own irises after illnesses and injuries, publishing writings and eye drawings during the late nineteenth century. One of his students, Dr. Henry Lahn, brought the practice of iridology to the United States. A variety of practitioners, primarily European, have sought to popularize iridology since these early works. Dr. Bernard Jensen, a chiropractor, is the best-known contemporary American advocate of iridology.

Benefits

Iridologists claim that by studying the patterns of a person's iris, they can provide helpful and accurate health and wellness information. Iridology is a holistic endeavor in that it addresses the person's whole being in the reading. The range of information gleaned encompasses physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of the person's health picture. In addition to assessing the person's general level of health, readings can reveal other data, including energy quotients; internal areas of irritation, degeneration, injury, or inflammation; nutritional and chemical imbalances; accumulation of toxins; life transitions; and subconscious tensions. Iridologists maintain that the eyes reveal information about the person's physical and emotional constitution, such as inherited weaknesses and risks to which the person may be prone. Strengths may also be revealed, including inherited emotional tendencies from which the person derives particular talents. Cleansing and healing can be verified by changes in the iris. By looking for certain signs such as healing lines, iridologists obtain information about previous health problems and injuries and discover what may have gone wrong in the person's past.

An iridology reading reflects the causes of problems, not symptoms. It may, iridologists claim, reveal that organs or systems are overstressed or predisposed to disease before clinical symptoms even develop. By predicting future problems, iridology can be used as a preventive tool. People can use the information from iridology readings to improve their health and make better behavioral choices in the future, thereby heading off problems before they occur.

In North America, iridology is generally considered to be an assessment tool to be used in cooperation with other health specialties. Iridology is not a diagnostic tool (although it is more likely to be considered so by European iridologists) and should not be used to diagnose or name specific diseases. Not only would diagnosis represent an improper application of iridology according to many iridologists, as noted by the International Iridology Research Association (IIRA), it could also be construed in many countries as practicing medicine without a license.

Description

Iridology is generally based on the concept of neural pathways between the body and the iris. Although iridologists may differ on the exact mechanism, most maintain that the iris reflects what is happening throughout the body via nerve conduction from all parts of the body to the eye. The client's health is assessed by the iridologist, who interprets patterns, shapes, rings, colors and pigmentation markings, fibers, structures, and changes in the pupil and iris. Many iridologists also use sclerology (reading the lines in the white part of the eyes) in their health evaluation.

Iridology readings are typically performed by such holistically oriented practitioners as naturopaths, chiropractors, or nutritionists. The reading may be done using a bright light, a magnifying glass, and a notepad. The iridologist may also use various tools to better view the eye, a special camera to take pictures of the iris, and/or a computer.

Iridologists conduct their readings using charts on which each area of the iris is mapped to a specific body system or organ. Iridology charts vary, with at least 20 different ones in existence. Some charts are more widely used than others; however, many iridologists believe that there is more than one correct map and that each practitioner should become familiar with several charts. Some iridologists even develop their own charts. Differences also exist among practitioner techniques; among American, European, and other approaches; and in the interpretation of specific iris signs.

Iridology charts divide the iris into numerous zones corresponding to different parts of the body. Although the specifics may differ on each chart, all share a general pattern. The left eye is mapped to the left side of the body and the right eye to the right side. The top of the eye is mapped to the upper body (e.g., brain, face, neck, chest and heart). The center of the eye is mapped to the stomach and digestive organs, with other organs being represented by concentric circular zones moving outward toward the edge of the iris. The bottom of the eye is mapped to the legs and lower half of body. Paired organs (e.g., the kidneys) are mapped to both irises.

Using a holistic approach that considers each client as an individual with unique health patterns and concerns, behaviors, and experiences, the iridologist will examine the eyes and make a health assessment. Based on the results of that reading, the iridologist generally recommends a wellness program tailored to the individual's physical, emotional, and life situation. This program may incorporate various health improvement, maintenance, and prevention regimes. Recommendations may include vitamins, minerals, herbs, supplements, and/or diet and nutrition, among other suggestions.

Preparation

No special preparations are necessary before an iridology reading.

Precautions

An iridology reading is unlikely to cause any physical harm by itself, as it does not involve direct contact with the eye or applying eye drops of any kind. Critics of iridology, however, argue that iridology can be detrimental to health if a sick person delays treatment for a condition not suggested by the iridology reading; or that it can can cause anguish and unnecessary expense if a reading suggests a problem when there actually is none.

Research & General Acceptance

Rita M. Holl, RN, PhD, states that "Within Western medicine, iridology is considered a controversial science at best and medical fraud at worst." Proponents of iridology argue that the practice is time-tested with proven results. Although critics acknowledge that certain symptoms of non-ocular disease do appear in the eyes (e.g., brain injury), there is, they argue, a lack of rigorous scientific testing and no evidence that iridology has any merit. Studies published in the Australian Journal of Optometry, the British Medical Journal, and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) have found iridologists' assessment of patients with diagnosed serious diseases including kidney and gall bladder disease to be inaccurate. Iridologists counter that the research itself was faulty, citing problems including poor-quality photos; the absence of important additional information including the ability to see/interview the client; and inappropriate expectations of diagnosing specific diseases, a task outside the parameters of iridology. A more recent study conducted to reevaluate JAMA's findings in regard to renal failure was published in the Alternative Health Practitioner. Acknowledging that the "study leaves several questions unanswered," the author reported both similarities and variations in the iridologists' readings and concluded that the iridologist's level of expertise is extremely important as well.

Training & Certification

Iridologists receive training from various sources. They may learn their trade through books, tapes, correspondence courses, online classes, or live classes. According to the IIRA, "Iridology operates in a gray area in North America. In general, there are no laws defining or regulating the practice. In Europe, especially in Germany, Iridology is well recognized and routinely used by natural medicine practitioners." Also according to the IIRA, "Because Iridology has no official standards of practice, anyone can call themselves an Iridologist, often with little training or experience. There are also great differences in the Iridology information being taught, especially in North America."

Resources

Books

Jackson, Adam J. Iridology: A Guide to Iris Analysis and Preventive Health Care. Boston: Charles B. Tuttle, 1993.

Jensen, Bernard. Iridology: Science and Practice in Healing Arts, Vol. II. Escondido, CA: B. Jensen, 1982.

Jensen, Bernard. What is Iridology? Escondido, CA: B. Jensen, 1984.

Jensen, Bernard and Donald Bodeen. Visions of Health: Understanding Iridology. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing, 1992.

Worrall, Russell S. "Iridology: Diagnosis or Delusion?" in Science Confronts the Paranormal, ed. Kendrick Frazier. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1986.

Organizations

Canadian Neuro-Optic Research Institute. P.O. Box 29053. 4324 Dewdney Ave. Regina, Saskatchewan S4T 7X3. Canada. (306) 359-7694. Fax: (306) 525-2659. cnricontacts@cnri.edu. http://www.cnri.edu/.

International Iridology Research Association. PO Box 1442. Solano Beach, CA 92075-2208. (888) 682-2208. IIRAOffice@aol.com. http://www.iridologyassn.org/.

Other

Quackwatch: Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions. http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/iridology.html.

[Article by: Kathy Stolley]

Iridology is the study of the iris of the eye with the intent of diagnosing weaknesses in the body. Iridologists believe that areas of the iris correspond with different body parts. Among the conditions they monitor are color, clarity, texture, fibers, rings, and spots on the iris. Once the diagnosis is made, they recommend natural methods of healing and conditioning of weak areas.

The study of the iris as associated with disease.

Pseudoscientific concepts
Claims
* Patterns, colors, and other characteristics of the iris hold information about a patient's systemic health.
Related scientific disciplines
* Medicine
Year proposed
1665
Original proponents
Philippus Meyeus
Subsequent proponents

Iridology (also known as iridodiagnosis^[1]) is an alternative medicine technique whose proponents believe that patterns, colors, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a patient's systemic health. Practitioners match their observations to iris charts which divide the iris into zones corresponding to specific parts of the human body. Iridologists see the eyes as "windows" into the body's state of health.

Iridologists use the charts to distinguish between healthy systems and organs in the body and those which are overactive, inflamed, or distressed. Iridologists believe this information may be used to demonstrate a patient's susceptibility towards certain illnesses, to reflect past medical problems, or to predict later consequences of health problems which may be developing.

As it is not a method of treatment but a diagnostic tool, its practitioners often study other branches of alternative medicine, such as naturopathy.^{[citation needed]}.

Iridology is not supported by any published studies and is considered pseudoscience by most medical practitioners and eye care professionals.

Contents 1 Methods 2 History 3 Criticism 4 Scientific research into iridology 5 Regulation, licensure, and certification 6 References 7 Related practices 8 See also 9 External links 9.1 Pro 9.2 Con

Methods

The iris is the greenish-yellow area surrounding the transparent pupil (showing as black). The white outer area is the sclera, the central transparent part of which is the cornea.

Iridologists generally use equipment such as a flashlight and magnifying glass, cameras or slit-lamp microscopes to examine a patient's irises for tissue changes, as well as features such as specific pigment patterns and irregular stromal architecture. The markings and patterns are compared to an iris chart that correlates zones of the iris with parts of the body. Typical charts divide the iris into approximately 80-90 zones. For example, the zone corresponding to the kidney is in the lower part of the iris, just before 6 o'clock. There are minor variations between charts' associations between body parts and areas of the iris.

According to iridologists, details in the iris reflect changes in the tissues of the corresponding body organs. One well-known practitioner, Dr. Bernard Jensen, puts it this way: "Nerve fibers in the iris respond to changes in body tissues by manifesting a reflex physiology that corresponds to specific tissue changes and locations."^[2] This means that a bodily condition will translate to a noticeable change in the appearance of the iris. For example, acute inflammatory, chronic inflammatory and catarrhal signs may indicate involvement, maintenance, or healing of corresponding distant tissues, respectively. Other features that iridologists look for are contraction rings and Klumpenzellen, which may indicate various other health conditions, as interpreted in context.

History

The first explicit description of iridological principles such as homolaterality (without using the word iridology) are found in Chiromatica Medica, a famous work published in 1665 and reprinted in 1670 and 1691 by Philippus Meyeus (Philip Meyen von Coburg).

This is an example of an iridology chart, correlating areas of the left iris, as seen in the mirror, with portions of the left hand side of the body. Changes in color or appearance of the iris are said to indicate changes in the health of the corresponding section of the body.

This is the corresponding chart for the right iris which relates to the right hand side of the body.

The first use of the word Augendiagnostik ("eye diagnosis," loosely translated as iridology) began with Ignaz von Peczely, a 19th-century Hungarian physician. The most common story is that he got the idea for this diagnostic tool after seeing similar streaks in the eyes of a man he was treating for a broken leg and the eyes of an owl whose leg von Peczely had broken many years before. At the First International Iridological Congress, Ignaz von Peczely's nephew, August von Peczely, dismissed this myth as apocryphal, and maintained that such claims were irreproducible.

The German contribution in the field of natural healing is due to a minister Pastor Felke, who developed a form of homeopathy for treating specific illnesses and described new iris signs in the early 1900s. However, Pastor Felke was subject to long and bitter litigation. The Felke Institute in Gerlingen, Germany was established as a leading center of iridological research and training.

Iridology became better known in the United States in the 1950s, when Bernard Jensen, an American chiropractor, began giving classes in his own method. This is in direct relationship with P. Johannes Thiel, Eduard Lahn (who became an American under the name of Edward Lane) and J Haskell Kritzer. Jensen insisted on the importance of the body's exposure to toxins, and the use of natural foods as detoxifiers.

Criticism

The majority of medical doctors reject all the claims of all branches of iridology and label them as pseudoscience or even quackery.^[3] Iridologists are rarely physicians. Iridology is only studied at private institutions, and it is not taught at medical schools.

Critics, including most practitioners of mainstream medicine, dismiss iridology as published studies have indicated a lack of success for its claims. Clinical data does not support any correlation between illness in the body and coinciding observable changes in the iris. In controlled experiments,^[4] practitioners of iridology have performed statistically no better than chance in determining the presence of a disease or condition solely through observation of the iris.

It has been pointed out that the premise of iridology is at odds with the fact that the iris does not undergo substantial changes in an individual's life. Iris texture is a phenotypical feature which develops during gestation and remains unchanged after birth. There is no evidence for changes in the iris pattern other than variations in pigmentation in the first year of life, eventual freckles and variations caused by glaucoma treatment. This stability of iris structures is at the foundation of iris recognition for identification purposes^[5][6].

Scientific research into iridology

Well controlled scientific evaluation of iridology has shown entirely negative results, with all rigorous double blinded tests failing to find any statistical significance to its claims.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Simon et al.^[7], 1979), three iridologists incorrectly identified kidney disease in photographs of irises and often disagreed with each other. The researchers concluded: "iridology was neither selective nor specific, and the likelihood of correct detection was statistically no better than chance."

Another study was published in the British Medical Journal (Knipschild^[8], 1988). Paul Knipschild MD, of the University of Limburg in Maastricht, selected 39 patients who were due to have their gall bladder removed the following day, because of suspected gallstones. He also selected a group of people who did not have diseased gall bladders to act as a control. A group of 5 iridologists examined a series of slides of both groups' irises. The iridologists were not able to identify correctly which patients had gall bladder problems and which had healthy gall bladders. For example, one of the iridologists diagnosed 49% of the patients with gall stones as having them and 51% as not having them. Dr Knipschild concluded: "this study showed that iridology is not a useful diagnostic aid." Iridologists defended themselves and attacked the methodology of the study.

Edzard Ernst said in 2000: "Does iridology work? [...] This search strategy resulted in 77 publications on the subject of iridology. [...] All of the uncontrolled studies and several of the unmasked experiments suggested that iridology was a valid diagnostic tool. The discussion that follows refers to the 4 controlled, masked evaluations of the diagnostic validity of iridology. [...] In conclusion, few controlled studies with masked evaluation of diagnostic validity have been published. None have found any benefit from iridology."^[4]

Regulation, licensure, and certification

In Canada and the United States, iridology is not regulated or licensed by any governmental agency. Numerous organizations offer certification courses.

References

1. ^ Cline D; Hofstetter HW; Griffin JR. Dictionary of Visual Science. 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston 1997. ISBN 0-7506-9895-0
2. ^ Jensen B; "Iridology Simplified". 2nd ed., Escondido 1980.
3. ^ Iridology Is Nonsense, a web page with further references
4. ^ ^{a b} Ernst E (January 2000). "Iridology: not useful and potentially harmful". Arch. Ophthalmol. 118 (1): 120–1. PMID 10636425. 
5. ^ Inside Iris Recognition
6. ^ Iris Recognition
7. ^ Simon A, Worthen DM, Mitas JA (September 1979). "An evaluation of iridology". JAMA 242 (13): 1385–9. doi:10.1001/jama.242.13.1385. PMID 480560. 
8. ^ Knipschild P (December 1988). "Looking for gall bladder disease in the patient's iris". BMJ 297 (6663): 1578–81. doi:10.1136/bmj.297.6663.1578. PMID 3147081. 

Related practices

• Eyology
• Sclerology
• Phrenology

See also

• Moleosophy
• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Orthoptics
• Eye care professional
• Eye examination
• Iris scan
• Kayser-Fleischer ring

External links

Pro

• Western Medicine looks at Iridology ... by Bill Caradonna R.Ph. (Several more rebuttals of official critics of iridology are found at the same resource online.)
• Is the Iris a Receptor? by Vincenzo Di Spazio (2000)
• Iridology by Dr Lisa Niebergall
• Celestial Healing site about iridology (source of the iris charts used in this article)
• Canadian Institute of Iridology
• Canadian Journal of the Science and Practice of Iridology (a good resource, no longer available as hard print)
• Canadian Neuro-Optic Research Institute (Canada)
• The Israeli center for Advanced Multidimensional Iridology. (Israel)

Con

• The Skeptics Dictionary
• Quackwatch
• Confessions Of A Former Iridologist
• Your-Doctor.com
• James Randi Educational Foundation
• Iridology: not useful and potentially harmful. - Edzard Ernst
• Archives of Ophthalmology

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)