Dr. Pavlov graduated and was licensed as a Medical Practitioner at the Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria (1975). He proceeded through a residency in Internal Diseases and in 1985 received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship from the International University, Moscow, Central Research Laboratory. Dr. Pavlov authored Thesis on "Possibilites and Clinical Application of Iridal Exteroceptors in Screening Diagnosis of Pulmonary Disorders. At present he is working on "Light Perception and Its Influence on Homeostasis." Dr. Pavlov is married, with 2 children.

 

340 clinically healthy people without any acquired data for respiratory defects have been subjectivly tested and found with asymptomatic persistence of pulmonary pathology iridologically in 62.05% and by standard clinical examination testing in 40.88%. The differentiation of the condition *clinical health* from those of "absolute health" and pathology is very important for the general diagnostic practice and early preclinical prevention.

 

Iridology would be of much greater practical help to the common process of diagnosing if it can propose a clear definition and differentiation between the constitutional characteristics of the visible front layer of the stroma (F. Vida & J. Deck, 1954, B.Jensen, 1970, E.S. Velchover, 1982) possessing a clinically considered general view of the "good" and "weak" sides of the organism. Still, such integrative definition of the constitution is faulty and doesn't serve suitable for practical differential diagnosing. Moreover, there are no clear criteria as to whether a constitutional predisposition has clinical manifestation or not. This is one of the arguments opponents of iridology use to criticize the methodology as non valid and without any practical application. Apart from this, in the overall population there are quite a few examples of normal health belong ing to all constitutional types. This is testimony to the variety of compensatory and adaptive abilities of the living systems. So if there are proven predispositions factors to a certain disease or insufficienty in a living system or in an organ, a reasonable question comes to mind: which are the factors that provoke the clinical manifestation of the disease, and how are these conditions manifested Iridologically?

 

In other words, in some cases the potential risk of disease (pointed out by the constitutional defects) has a clinical manifestation. In others, apart from the provoking exogenous factors, such expression of the disease is not seen. That's why the differentiation of the irido-symptoms and their pathognomic value appears as one of the central questions, if we should have any designs for identifying the actual present condition of an individual (Tonbrensu T., 1984).

 

The questions of whether there is a dynamic in the front stroma layer or not has been key question for many generations This it in fact, the main platform for debate.

 

We tested 340 students and volunteers (60.58% men and 39.42% women) without any history or present pulmonary disease at the University of SBA - Algeria. All of them were subjectively observed for active or chronic pathological disturbances of the pulmonary system clinical exam, x-ray or fluorography, frontal or peripheral, general or sectoral iridography and reflective spectrophotometry. All observed were divided into groups according to their age and stromal characteristics: 112 of all observed belong to 19 to 23 years of age for a better and more adequate iridological analysis (ll%). According to the colour of the stroma, there were 12.64% blue eyes, 7.64% grey, 2.64% green, 32.35% light brown, 30.58% brown and 14.11% dark brown. The stromal characteristic evaluated as: 8.82% radial type, 14.11% radial wave type, 2.64% radial-lacunar. The group of the dark coloured stromas (homogeneous types) were as follows: homogeneous types, 26.17%, homogeneous-radial 38.24%, homogeneous-lacunar 12.64%. The maximum number of the observed (43.82%) has been found at the age range of 20 to 29 years, and minimum number(1.17%) between 70 and 79 years. The mean age was 25.18 years.

 

Out of 44 observed characteristics according to the "Classification of Irido-symptoms", we have elaborated on the most frequently found Table I). The analysis shows predominant persistence of the dynamic symptoms: adaptation ring (1 to 4), pupillodystonia, pupilloatonia and scurf rim. The group of the constant symptoms mostly show presentation of the lacunae near the Autonomic Nerve Ring (small arterial circulation ring) and its deformations.

 

The group of the dynamic irido-symptoms shows most frequent expression of the trait, "2 adaptation rings" (41.41%). The trait, "3 adaptation rings" has been found in 22.76%, which appears to be one of the characteristics of the observed population. These results correlate with the results of Velchover, E.S.(1982).

 

The complex analysis of the irido-symptoms reveals that in 211 observed (62.05%) there are pathologic changes without any clinical manifestations. The complex of subjective examinations proves symptomless presence of pathology in 139 (40.88% of the healthy observed - 4.41% - radial type, 6.76% - radial-wave type, 6.47% - radial-lacunar type. The group of the dark coloured homogeneous types showed 6.47% - homogeneous type, 8.23% - homogeneous-radial type, 8.52% - homogeneous-lacunar type. The clinical verification in 79.13% concerned the pulmonary parenchyma and in 49.64% (69 observed) - enlarged hilus lymph nodes and in 12.94% (18 observed) permanent changes in the lower bronchial areas.

 

The iris is characterized as an exteroreceptor of the brain (F. Vida & J. Deck, 1954, B. Jensen, 1970, R. Bordiol, 1975, E.S. Velchover, 1982). The anatomical and physiological characteristics reveal an ex-tremely fine and precise structure, innervation and hematogenous regulation (D. Elder, S. 1964, Walsh, 1984, Poulique, Y., l969, Walter F. S., 1979, W. Y. Wynnie, 1986, E. S. Velchover, 1984).

 

The clinico-iridological trials and the classical empirical knowledge on the matter is very important. This appears to be terribly difficult to research, mainly because of the paucity of theoretical knowledge and inaccuracy of contemporary diagnosis. Nowadays the basic scientific data and the changed recognition of the diagnostic process seem to find another, more true, realistic and reliable interpretation of this method.

 

Another difficulty derives from the fact that the method is only diagnostic and because of this, at this historical period of time it hasn't succeeded in defending itself as a scientific approach.

 

The differentiation of the condition of norm from that of pathology is one of the basic problems in each system of diagnosing. The lack of proper methodology and misinterpretation has led iridology to in-stability and accusation. Modern prevention is Interested in any methodology which scientifically is able to define the complex of factors that can harm clinical health, can recover constitutional defects, or delay their clinical manifestation.

 

The frequency of the irido-symptoms, found in clinically healthy people permits some conclusions:

 

1. Iridology is useful in early screening diagnosis of pulmonary diseases.

 

2. In general, the dark coloured (homogeneous) stromas obliterate the tendency to a more expressed reaction of the adaptation rings and deformations of the pupils, pupillodystonia and pupilloatonia. The radial type stromas have a greater tendency to be demonstrative of the superficial and the stromal vessel layers of the iris.

 

3. The irido-symptom, "decentralization of the pupil," shows the tendency to a medial and apical localization. In this way, the surface of the lateral parts appears greater than the medial ones.

 

4. The persistence of the adaptation rings in normal cases of health is located in the circular division 4 and 5 in all groups according to the structural peculiarities.

 

5.The topical communication of the irido-symptoms reflects the brilliancy of the nervous system intercorrelations as one of the constitutional factors' causes.

 

The constant irido-symptoms like the lacunae, which indicate the diseases In the preclinical period, forward the notion of persistence of a gene-regulation system which governs the formation of the stromal structures and the expression of the pigments.

 

The problem of pigment regulation has been revealed in the literature, but the problem of structure regulation is still unresolved.

 

This work has been supported by the Faculty of Medicine at the University of SBA and Docent Katchmarsky, J., Ph.D.