Iridology

Iridology refers to the analysis of the structure, colour and markings of the iris to assess a person’s state of health.  The word ‘iridology’ combines ‘iris’ a Greek word meaning rainbow and ‘ology’ means branch of learning and comes from the Greek ‘logia’ which means to speak.

The nerve endings of the iris are connected to the brain.  The nervous system in turn is connected to the organs of the body.  Impulses are received through the optic nerve, optic thalami and the spinal cord.  The basic idea is that by studying the iris can show the body’s underlying strengths and weaknesses, general disposition, and inflammation and toxicity levels. 

The health practitioner will typically use equipment with a 4-6 power lens, although a higher magnification may used to see intricate details.  The markings, tissues, pigment and other details of the iris are compared to a chart which organizes parts of the iris with corresponding parts of the body.  The iris can reveal the condition of each organ and the body as a whole.

Iridology can be traced back to the findings of Dr. Ignaz Von Peczely in the 1800’s.  As a boy he first noticed the changes in the iris of an injured owl before and after the accident. His work in later years in the hospital surgery ward gave him opportunities to observe patients’ irises before and after surgery.  He developed the first iridology chart.   Others like Dr. Bernard Jensen, an American iridologist and nutritionist, have expanded the chart to include more detail and all parts of the body.

Iridology is not licensed or regulated in Canada.  It is a diagnostic tool used by holistic health practitioners and is not a therapy to diagnose disease.