Iridology also known as iris analysis

Again, this hypothesis is based upon the findings and empirical observations of hundreds of Iridologists. The research of Walter Lang (Die anatomischen und physiologischen Grundlagen der Augendiagnostik) proposes a set of neural pathways that would account for the physiological eye changes associated with both disease states and abnormal tissue conditions. Lang indicates that afferent autonomic nerve impulses from the various organs and tissues of the body reach the anterior thalamic nuclei of the diencephalon. It therefore acts as a “file cabinet” or storage area on all anatomical conditions. Lang further suggests that this information is transmitted to the hypothalamus, which functions as a central relay and control station of the brain.

Nerve impulses from the hypothalamus follow pathways via the oculomotor nucleus and the Edinger-Westphal nucleus to the muscles, stroma and blood vessels of the irides, where they stimulate topographical tissue changes, corresponding to specific organ and tissue changes elsewhere in the body. Lang shows that areas of the iris can be differentiated to correspond to the various organs and tissues by definition that a single iris nerve fiber (over 28,000) controls only 5 to 10 muscle cells as compared to 200 – 300 muscle cells in the extremities. This means that changes reflexed to the iris are highly specific to certain zones. However the neural system organization is the same in all human beings, the same tissue areas of the body will always reflex to the same areas of the irides.

Again, this hypothesis is based upon findings and empirical observations of hundreds of Iridologists. Iridologists have distinguished that the iris changes due to pathological deterioration of body tissue. This shows as a whiteness (acute) in the iris fibers, then an increasing darkness (sub-acute -> chronic -> degenerative) and the depth of iris lesions. In the past, Iridologists have also stated that they have witnessed changes due to reversal pathology (emergence of healing lines.) in the same iris lesions after successful treatment. In many cases these findings are confirmed with other commonly accepted diagnostic procedures.

It must be emphasized that the pathological condition must be adequately severe to be classified by the standards of western medicine as the classification standards of Iridology are different. The various laboratory tests that are being used to determine the presence or absence of disease are not totally efficient in the assessment of sub-clinical conditions. Acute and sub-acute stages of tissue inflammation can commonly be detected long before other diagnostic methods are capable of finding any health problems with the patient. In a similar manner, when a patient is declared “well” by the standards of Western medicine, Iridology frequently shows a sub-acute condition persisting in the individual.

German medical researcher, Walter Lang, has demonstrated that the autonomic nerve fibers from virtually every gland, organ and tissue of the body extend to the thalamus and hypothalamus which monitor and respond to changes of condition in all anatomical structures. These changes of state, Lang suggests, are relayed from the thalamus and hypothalamus through the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal ganglion to the motorneurons of the iris muscle structure.

Changes in the impulses conducted by these motorneurons may be responsible for the changes in the muscle structure of the iris, leading to the gradual separation of iris fibers in the stroma and consequent appearance of the lesions and other markings familiar to iridologist. Lang also points out that the organization of the human nervous system is genotypic, and further postulates that innervation to the iris reliably represents is also genotypic, which accounts to the fact that the iris reliable represents the same organs, glands, and other anatomical subdivisions of the body in precisely the same locations in the irides of all individuals.

Scientific research has demonstrated that the posterior pigment epithelium and dilator muscle of the irides are embryologically derived from neurectoderm, the tissue from which the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) are also derived. Iridologist find that it is this similarity that reflects in the iris the genetic inheritance of the individual. It is assumed that the specific configuration and development of the dilator muscle somehow determine the radial arrangement and spacing of the vascular arcades (trabeculae) in the stroma above it. The fact that crypts and separated trabeculae represent inherent weaknesses in no way conflicts with the fact that the same structures allow aqueous humor to circulate through the irides.