I have engaged in a series of discussions with my father-in-law about his reliance on a large dose of regular naturopathic remedies, prescribed by his ND after an iridology screening. I have asked him why he bases his medical treatment on this diagnosis tool. If iridology was an accurate method for diagnosing current and potential issues then why is it not practiced by mainstream doctors? Also, how would such a tool work given that the adult eye does not change structure and colour. His faith in iridology stems from the experience of a close relative. After an iridological exam, a naturopath told this person to seek medical attention for a tumor on their left ovary, the doctor found no issue but the naturopath insisted and eventually such an issue was discovered. This type of testimonial seems convincing but provides no substantial evidence for its efficacy. I conducted a research into peer reviewed journal articles which turned up no evidence for iridology. Furthermore i watched iridologists explain their practice none of which explained how it worked or demonstrated that it worked. I provided my father-in-law with some bed time reading, a representative sample of articles which show that there is no evidence for the use of iridology. While this method may cause some to put up defensive shields, my understanding of his personality makes me think that he will be receptive to this and perhaps evaluate the evidence.
While my father-in-law is happy to have an open discussion about virtually anything, the same can not be said about my mother-in-law. She understands my position on things of this nature so actively hides her beliefs from me. I found out that she recently attended a convention on health and spirituality where an iridologist "discovered" the reason for her recent health issues. She was to take a herbal pill each night to improve her digestive system. This brings me to the core of why i want to question these practices. On the first night of this medication she was in a lot of discomfort, feeling sick and up all night. When my wife questioned her about this she replied that it must be the pills working. On the third night she became sick to the point of being bed ridden. She has since stopped taking the pills. I later found out that some years ago she suffered an anaphylactic shock after taking a herbal cold and flu remedy. It was found that the pill contained an unlisted ingredient which caused a severe reaction. I am yet to have a conversation with her about this and will be interested to see if her opinion on iridology has changed, i suspect not.
