The relation between diabetes and the occurrence of peripheral occlusive arterial disease has been the subject of a voluminous literature. It is not our purpose to review the many articles on this subject. It is sufficient to point out the existence of a number of conflicting opinions which are difficult to correlate. There are those who hold that there is a definite causal relation between diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. Hallock1 stated: "The diabetic state either initiates early or accelerates the development of premature arteriosclerosis in the young adult." One finds statements such as that of Ruprecht:2 "As a general rule, regardless of the youth of the patient, a diabetes of 5 years or more duration will produce arteriosclerosis." Others consider that the increase of arterioclerosis in diabetic persons is due to neglect of diabetic treatment. Bowen,3 on the basis of roentgenologic studies of extremities over a