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...