The roots of Iridology lie in the observations of an 11 year old boy from Egernar, near Budapest, Hungary, Ignatz Von Peczely. He struggled to defend himself from an owl which was attacking him, and in the ensuing fight the owls leg was broken. He noticed the appearance of a black stripe in the lower part of the birds iris shortly afterwards. This line was gradually replaced with white, crooked lines as the owls leg healed. The black stripe eventually became a tiny black spot, surrounded by white lines and shading.

Ignatz became a doctor and these early observations obviously made a great impression upon him as he took every opportunity to study the Iris markings of his patients. One documented case deals with a man with a broken leg whose Iris displayed a dark streak similar to that first seen in the eye of the owl. He made an extensive study of the reflexive connections between the iris and the health of many internal organs. His study convinced him that the iris mirrored tissue changes of the various organs.