Ignaz von Peczely

Life & Legacy

Ignaz von Peczely (26 January 1826 – 14 July 1911) was a Hungarian scientist, physician, and homeopath, considered the father of modern iridology. Von Peczely first thought of iridology when caring for an owl with a broken leg. After noticing a spot in the owl's eye, he hypothesized a link between the two and later tested this theory with other animals and people. While iridology has been largely dismissed as pseudoscience, Von Peczely's research led to the first known accurate drawing of an iris.