Ignaz Von Peczely—Inventor of Iridology

Ignaz von Peczely (1826–1911) was born into a noble Hungarian family. He became a lay homeopath but later decided to study medicine in Vienna, where he graduated aged 36. He then had a thriving medical practice in Vienna. Peczely’s discovery of iridology allegedly goes back to his childhood when he noted discolourings in the eye of an injured owl. Throughout his professional life, Peczely promoted iridology with some success. Other practitioners took over the mantle and made sure iridology is popular to the present day.