Iridology
and Diagnosis. Part 1 of 2 partsTutorial : 5. year 2
Tutor : Ivor Hughes.
Student : Damiana.
Diagnosis resides at the core of every corpus of Medicine. from East to West. Diagnostics is the science and practice of the diagnosis or the determination of disease in an organism.
Science has divided diagnostics into five main methods of determination.
1. Clinical diagnosis which is based upon the symptoms displayed by an individual. The Symptoms are matched against those of a given disease
2. Differential diagnosis. This is determination by considering which of a number of possible diseases are responsible for the displayed symptoms.
3. Physical diagnosis. This is done by a thorough physical examination. The information is obtained visually, nasally, aurally and tactically.
4. Serum diagnosis. This is performed by administering serums and then observing the patients reaction. And most importantly for orthodoxy the laboratory examination of body fluids.
5. Exclusion diagnosis. A method of whittling down an array of possible diseases.
Nowadays such labors are attended by much technology and a veritable rash of specialists in the many types of diseases which are now common i.e. Cancer and Diabetes and Heart disease
There is no evidence to suggest that Science is any more successful with diagnosis than that success enjoyed by a sensitive natural practitioner. Intuition is superior to technology .. the facts are marshaled as a picture of a disordered organism .. it then that experiential intuition comes into play .. The mind handles a milliom bits of information in a second .. it does so with practiced elegance and arrives at its decision .. until one develops this faculty it is well to recheck your decision against your facts
Medicine should be based upon truth and not verbal sleight
of hand.
Practice should not be based upon speculative theory;
Theory should be derived from practice.
Paracelsus
The Herbalist approaches a patient based on a different medical model to that used by orthodoxy. The method used by orthodoxy is often described as reductionism .. whereas the natural practitioner holds a Holistic model to the fore. The patient is examined on all levels mental, physical and if necessary. spiritually. An imbalance on any level will inevitably precipitate a crisis on all levels .. so it is essential to be thorough and wise in the examination:
"Many a times I find my patients disturbed by trouble
of Conscience or Sorrow,
and I have to act the Divine before I can be the Physician.
In fact our greatest skill lies in the infusion of Hopes, to induce
confidence and peace of mind."
Nicholas Culpeper
You will arrive at your protocols in a natural manner based on your experience .. naturally .. good records are the core of your protocols .. at the bare minimum they should include .. What .. Where .. When .. this for each individual.
When the Herbalist has weighed the signs, they are internally digested and blended with the mental picture presented .. from such a stew .. they can with finesse arrive at a conclusion based upon their experience. And match a drug picture (herb) against an array of possible symptoms. The drug picture is obtained from reliable plant monographs which will list the side effects of the herb under the term �Uses". Herbs are potent instruments and should be used to alleviate symptoms if required or to nudge a sluggish organ system into motion .. whilst the diet takes care of the cure.
Herbs alleviate symptoms by sympathy .. �Like cures like� .. and here we can be led astray by a complexity of considerations, which is further complicated by the fact that many herbs interfere with the actions of the Pharmaceutic pills. Ethically one should not administer potent herbs to an individual whose system is awash with the synthetics. There are published lists of such herbs .. however the lists are not carved into stone because of the unique biological makeup of every individual. So what is to be done in the face of this complexity?
Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling PhD believed that mineral deficiency was the root cause of all disease. This has led to a Science based system of medicine called �Orthomolecular Therapy�. A system based on nutrition via mega doses of vitamins and minerals. They have enjoyed much success and in particular in the field of Psychiatric Medicine. This approach of course, is anathema to the Pharmaceutical Industry. It puts their bottom line is at risk. That fact also explains the shameful behavior of the World Health Organization.. and also the under cover machinations of the Codex crew who are seeking to control every aspect of our diet and medicine. .. Just from looking at the decisions made on our behalf in this matter .. it is so easy to visualize large sums of money changing hands.
Dr Pauling would insist .. that the answer lies in treating the root cause of all disease, namely �Deficiency�. The so called virus or microbial diseases are a natural progression via the phenomenon of Pleomorphic life. The body is a garden .. it will grow those things to which its soil is suited. It is also part of your task to make the individual aware of such matters .. and if you do .. then the mutual confidence engendered, renders the problem half solved.
This alleviation of disease by �Nutrition� is possessed of sweet reason .. that theory is firmly underpinned by the practice. Nutrition based on Naturopathic principles is a very different kind of approach to that practiced by orthodoxy for example the Naturopath is more concerned with the quality of the food .. with Orthodoxy the nutrients are classified according to how much energy they yield. Very simply it is based on the Calorie (heat) liberated by controlled combustion of a 1 gram amount of either:
1. Starch. = 4 calories
2. Fats. = 9 calories
3. Protein. = 4 calories
Water is the mediating factor when the substances are digested in the stomach. Whilst the food is being thoroughly masticated the pH of the stomach acids are adjusted automatically to match the food substance being chewed. In addition to those substances we must also include the mineral salts and vitamins all of which needs to be bulk packaged by roughage. The cell synthesized cellular amino acids are able to manufacture all of the bodies requirements with the proviso that they are provisioned by natural foods to which they have been pre-programmed.
The major problems with vitamin and mineral tablets is;
1. The so called recommended daily allowances ( RDA) is not based on sound scientific research but rather upon consensus of the stakeholders in such tablets. It�s a one size fits all solution that does not take account of the biological idiosyncrasy of the individual. Or the quality of the vitamins and minerals.
2. In many of those tablets the vitamins are synthesized .. e.g. the folic acid that becomes a toxic substance in the wrong amounts. The natural substance is blocked by the digestive system when the individuals requirements are satisfied .. It is a synthetic that Pharmaceutical Industry wants to spike our daily bread with. This synthetic folic can pass straight through natures safety barriers thus predisposing individuals to a toxic overdose. Mass medication is an evil that cannot be morally justified. If some women give birth to children who suffer from neural tube defects due to a deficiency of the folic acid then they should be individually treated by thoroughly overhauling their dietary.
3. The necessary mineral salts are often the crude metal variety, rather than those obtained from a plant which are naturally bio-chelated and are instantly recognised and assimilated by the body. There are many people who report a dry and scaly skin after taking multi-vitamins over a period of months, and that the condition clears up on cessation of the multi-vitamins. ( See the Louis Kevran PhD work here)
The American term �Limeys� stemmed from the practice of the British to supply their sailors with lime or lemon juice (Vitamin �C�) to alleviate the oft times death dealing scourge of Scurvy. So science was able to establish that deficiency was at the root cause of many diseases. This happy fact is of inestimable value to the Natural Healer because it allows them to simplify a complexity of symptoms which always mask further problems. which often as not .. are not addressed. The alleviation of symptoms cannot be considered a cure.
From experience I assure you .. that if you follow the precepts of Harry Benjamin ND (See self help section in the site library) That your efforts will be crowned by great success. Remember the herbs are used for symptomatic relief. .. or to nudge a recalcitrant organ system into motion. Over a period of time you will be able to state which organs are affected .. this from the physical signs .. for example dark blue smudges beneath the eyes and vertically ridged finger nails always denote a sluggish and toxic liver .. this then by extension to the other organ systems which are effected by the initial malfunctioning. Supplements are the port of last call for the natural therapist .. and should be resorted to sparingly. You may also use supplements to target a system again very sparingly.. thereafter the individuals problem should be managed by diet of which you will be the guide.
The problem of locating the seat of a malfunctioning system is considerably simplified by the application of the �Iridology�. As a term it simply means �Knowledge of the Eye�. The eyes are the foremost indicators of health or lack of it .. usually if someone is chronically ill for a long period of time .. failing eyesight waits in the wings.
For Science based Iridology I would recommend �Dr Bernard Jensen�, who is an American Doctor of Chiropractic. Dr Jensen is one of the foremost exponents of the American School of Iridology. His Classic 1983 publication entitled �The Science and Practice of Iridology� is a very fine introduction to what must necessarily be a complex system if approached from a scientific angle.
Of the European School, of particular note, is the English translation, �Fundamental Basis of Iris diagnosis by Theodore Kriege 1969. His teachings are clear and concise.
However because of the healing methodology employed, I am of the opinion that beyond the fundamentals of recognizing iris signs .. such a depth of knowledge is of a doubtful service to the grass roots natural healer .. it is sufficient to note the degree of disorder because if one organ system is disordered .. then every other system must reduce its activity to maintain homoeostasis. It is for that reason it is often said .. Iridology does not Diagnose Disease .. It notes the disorder of the whole organism. And also notes the root of that disorder. My experience teaches me that the Naturopathic Model is indeed correct in its assertion that the cause of every disease lies in the stomach .. the digestive system is always the root.
Dr Jensen�s 40 page booklet �Iridology Simplified is a splendid nutshell guide to the fundamentals of the Art. It contains an Iridology chart which is basically a map of the iris .. Dr Jensen�s Iridology Chart is clear and concise. To give you the idea I include a partial image of the chart.
As you view the screen .. the image on the right is of the left eye and that of the left side is of the right eye. You will note that both images are almost mirror images .. but not quite .. the bottom of the chart reveals the difference. When noting the disturbances of the eye I have never found a problem to manifest to the same degree in both eyes .. one eye is always dominant .. which will correspond to many things, such as sex or age and also the polarity of the individual. I have also noted that the organs as depicted on the chart are subject to the Individuals bio-idiosyncrasy and may not be considered precise markers .. but one may put ones faith in the practice proved fact .. that the chart is precise in the organ order shown and the approximate place to look .. The chart is a great achievement .. painstakingly constructed from untold hours of front line Clinical practice and is a foundation stone of Scientific Iridology.
At its most simple .. you will need a magnifying glass and a small pen torch with a narrow beam to examine the iris. The beam of light from the torch is not shone into the eye, but rather across its surface .. this is done by directing the beam from the corner of the eye towards the bridge of the nose. The magnifying glass is then focused by adjusting the distance it is held from the eye. The conditions revealed are classified as Acute .. Chronic .. Degenerative. In that order.
After you have examined around a dozen sets of eyes.. using the Iridology booklet as a guide .. certain patterns will begin to emerge from what you are observing .. in this manner you start to cultivate your intuition in such matters .. and so you enter the gates of Intuitive Iridology as Art. .. From there your curiosity will be your guide.
The nature and force of a disease must be discovered by
their cause and not by their symptoms.
Paracelsus
Without exception everyone who has approached for assistance in mastering a problem first presents a very muddy pair of eyes .. rather like a dirty windscreen on a car. Harry Benjamin N.D. (see main library) has shown us how to proceed in such cases .. a short detox clears the iris so that one can do a reading at more depth. The detoxification process is always aimed at the liver and digestive system because this is inevitably the root of the problem .. from which all of the other problems have flowered.. The Nature of the disease is deficiency .. the force of the disease is revealed by the iris signs and their progression.
Dr Constantine Hering was a great exponent of the Hahnemann system of medicine and is well remembered for his law .. �The Law of Direction of Cure�. This �Law�, is provable by direct observation so there will be no mistake.
1. Cure proceeds from the top down (think drainage .. physical or mental)
2. Cure proceeds from the inside out . ( one organ system at a time)
3. Cure proceeds from higher organs to lesser organs.
For example : Perhaps the most prominent iris sign could be a kidney in the degenerative condition .. which because of the bodies attempt at homeostasis has dragged down with it, those other organs that play a vital part in its own metabolism .. this to the detriment of the other organs .. because they are under the command of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which is beyond most peoples control .. and also in some cases that of the Central nervous system (CNS) which performs our voluntary actions and is therefore under our control.
The Kidney problem is a flower of the seed that was planted in the digestive system .. perhaps many years before .. I have seen people who suffer with Kidneys disease and Diabetes come right .. with the application of rigorous diet .. which has added many valuable years to their lives. As Nature repairs the kidney then so are those organs involved with the kidney. When the Kidney is down .. the whole body is down .. When the Liver is down .. the whole body is down .. The Digestive system must be put in order by short fasts and nutritious foods, if Nature is to carry out her repair work. ..
Iridology tends to attract some skepticism .. but I might add .. only from those that have no real knowledge of the system and have never seen it in action .. Within the realm of Intuitive Iridology one may watch an Individuals eyes change .. clouds passing over the sun .. the changing of the seasons .. the passing of grief and the coming of joy .. Norse and Celtic knots revealed in the eye .. which hold a system in bondage .. And in the sharing of the pain .. a door is made between one mind and another .. and so it will be found .. All Men are equal before the door .. I speak symbolically of course .. so that you may more easily grasp the concept. One does not always succeed, but it gets better with experience.
In Part Two I would like to briefly cover some lesser known matters as they apply to Iridology such as how and when.
I would also add that this tutorial is not part of the Core Curriculum .. therefore no challenge on the matter will be offered. But take it as indicative of the powerful non invasive tools at your disposal .. Spagyric Remedies .. Naturopathic and Paracelsian Philosophy ... Iridology .. In combination they rarely fail of good results.
Ivor Hughes.
Auckland. New Zealand.
June 1st 2006.
Part Two Here
. (follows soon)
