Iridology

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Right iris with properties (blue color, “wreath of cloudy structures in front of the iris edge”) which are supposed to indicate a “lymphatic constitution” iridologically

Iridology (also iris analysis , iris diagnosis or eye diagnosis ) is an alternative medical diagnostic method that assumes that human diseases can be determined by analyzing the tissue structures of the iris . It could neither be proven empirically nor justified theoretically. From the point of view of its users, iridology can rarely be used as the sole diagnostic tool and is therefore usually supplemented by other methods. In particular, it should serve to determine a basic disposition that could indicate possible weaknesses in the organism.

Iris diagnostics should not be confused with iris recognition , which is used for personal identification in a similar way to fingerprints and uses the fact that the structure of the iris is different in every person.

history

The first descriptions are given by the ancient Egyptians and in a publication from the 15th century (Meyers). The basics of iris diagnosis were explicitly described in 1665 by Philip Meyen von Coburg in the well-known Chiromatica Medica . In the middle of the 19th century, the Hungarian doctor Ignaz von Peczely researched the procedure - he called it eye diagnostics . Since then, naturopaths , naturopaths and homeopaths have tried to use iridology to discover symptoms and potential causes of illness that are relevant to them. One of the first users in Germany was often called Lehmpastor called Emanuel Felke .

As before, there are very different approaches and individual developments in iris diagnostics and no standardized principles and doctrines, so that the procedure would not represent a real teaching or a standard in the alternative medical spectrum.

Basics of the theory

A heterochromia , in which in one eye, a certain iris section is a different color frequently, occurs in the population. Most scientists today assume that the color of the iris is epigenetic , i.e. predominantly hereditary. Initial genetic research has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 1943 . The Nazi doctor Karin Magnussen was involved in one of these research projects. In contrast, iridologists assume that the iris changes significantly in the course of life and through diseases.

Iridologists refer, among other things, to a book by the physician Walter Lang, published in 1954, who claims to have proven that conduction pathways lead from the entire periphery with all organs to the iris, namely via the spinal cord and thalamus as an intermediate station, arranged segmentally down to the segments the iris.

Often mentioned is a book by the Karlsruhe general practitioner Franz Vida and the naturopath Josef Deck, also from 1954, who claim that 74 percent of the iris diagnosis and organ diseases on 640 test persons were identical.

criticism

It has been proven several times that iris diagnosis lacks any scientific basis. In a large number of clinical studies it was not possible to prove that the accuracy of the iris diagnosis was beyond chance.

method

Circular topography
Sectoral topography

Iris diagnostics assumes that the iris is affected by material, “informational” and psychological environmental influences, food, lifestyle, diseases, their therapy and the like. a. change life's life by embedding color pigments or locally compressing their fibers.

Iris diagnosticians assess the basic color of the eye (blue, brown or mixed forms), differences in brightness of the iris tissue, structure and pattern of the iris fibers (loosening, compression, tension, strength and direction), flaky, cloud and fog-like deposits and deposits, pigment spots and - areas, color changes in the sclera ( whites of the eyes), and the blood vessels of the conjunctiva (number of vessels, filling, winding). You use two different topographies (circular and sectoral), the statements of which are linked with one another. So-called constitutional basic information can be gathered with a magnifying glass with four to five times magnification. As a rule, however, a binocular special microscope with 10 to 40 times magnification ( slit lamp ) is used, which is sometimes also equipped with a camera.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Edzard Ernst : Complementary medical diagnostic procedures. In: Dtsch Arztebl. 102 (44), 2005, pp. A-3034 / B-2560 / C-2410.
  2. ↑ Hans Reuther: Differential diagnosis for alternative practitioners: anamnesis, examination, laboratory, diagnosis. Foitzick Verlag, June 2010, ISBN 978-3-929338-48-5 .
  3. ^ Wolfgang H. Vogel, Andreas Berke: Brief History of Vision and Ocular Medicine. Kugler Publications, Amsterdam 2009, page 252.
  4. ↑ Krzysztof Zygadlo: Iridology . Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ Dietmar W. Thumm: Iris diagnostics ( Memento from March 9, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) A contribution from the day clinic Sursee, Switzerland.
  6. ^ Daniel H. Gold, Richard Lewis: Clinical Eye Atlas , Oxford University Press, pp. 396-397
  7. ↑ Hans-Walter Schmuhl: Crossing borders. The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics 1927–1945. History of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society under National Socialism, Volume 9. Wallstein, Göttingen 2005
  8. ↑ Walter Lang: The anatomical and physiological foundations of eye diagnostics. Haug-Verlag, Ulm 1954.
  9. ^ Franz Vida, Josef Deck: Clinical examination of the organ and disease signs in the iris. Haug-Verlag, Ulm 1954.
  10. ↑ bars in the eye. In: Der Spiegel. 48/1953, November 25, 1953.
  11. ^ Franz Grehn: Ophthalmology. 30th edition. Springer Verlag, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-540-75264-6 , p. 178.
  12. ^ A. Simon, DM Worthen, JA Mitas: An evaluation of iridology. In: JAMA. 242 (13), Sep 28, 1979, pp. 1385-1389. PMID 480560
  13. ↑ K. Munstedt, S. El-Safadi, F. Bruck, M. Zygmunt, A. Hackethal, HR Tinneberg: Can iridology detect susceptibility to cancer? A prospective case-controlled study. In: J Altern Complement Med. 11 (3), Jun 2005, pp. 515-519. PMID 15992238
  14. ^ M. Norn: Analysis of iris: history and future. In: Dan Medicinhist Arbog. 2003, pp. 103-117. PMID 14765528
  15. ↑ P. Knipschild: Looking for gall bladder disease in the patient's iris. In: BMJ. 297 (6663), Dec 17, 1988, pp. 1578-1581. PMID 3147081
  16. ↑ E. Ernst: Iridology: not useful and potentially harmful. In: Arch Ophthalmol. 118 (1), Jan 2000, pp. 120-121. PMID 10636425
  17. ^ RS Worrall: Pseudoscience - a critical look at iridology. In: J Am Optom Assoc. 55 (10), Oct 1984, pp. 735-739. PMID 6491119

literature

  • Joachim Broy: The constitution - humoral diagnosis and therapy . Munich, Tibor Marczell, 1978 [new edition: Foitzick Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-929338-42-3 ].
  • Joachim Broy: Repertory of the Iris Diagnosis . Foitzick Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-929338-20-3 .
  • Raimann et al. a .: Basics of Traditional European Naturopathy TEN . Bacopa Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-902735-21-8 .
  • Willy Hauser, Josef Karl, Rudolf Stolz: Information from structure and color . Felke Institute, 2004, ISBN 3-933422-03-5 .
  • Hans Hommel: Iris diagnosis made easy . Ariston, ISBN 3-7205-1137-5 .
  • Bernard Jensen, Donald V. Bodeen: Visions of Health . Avery (Penguin), ISBN 0-89529-433-8 .