Iridology

Iridology, also known as iridodiagnosis or iridiagnosis, is an alternative medicine technique whose proponents claim 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 that correspond to specific parts of the human body. Iridologists see the eyes as "windows" into the body's state of health.

History

Iridology has origins in the 19th century with Ignatz von Peczely, a Hungarian physician. The practice was later popularized in the 20th century by Bernard Jensen, an American chiropractor.

Methodology

Iridologists 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 over 90 specific iris zones to physical health.

Criticism and Controversy

Iridology is not supported by quality research studies and is widely considered pseudoscience by the medical community. The practice is not used in mainstream medicine and the iris does not have detailed innervation that would allow for such detailed correlation.

See Also

• Alternative Medicine
• Pseudoscience
• Ignatz von Peczely
• Bernard Jensen

References

Iridology Resources
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