Abstract
A study of 60 diabetic rats demonstrated that there was an inverse relationship between the severity of the hyperglycemia and the time required for the development of cataracts. Groups of rats with blood sugars greater than 400 mg./l00 cc. developed cataracts in approx. the same length of time. When the 33 rats with blood sugars greater than 400 mg./lOO cc. were grouped on the basis of initial wt., smaller animals developed cataracts more rapidly than those of greater wt. Lowering the blood sugar by the admn. of insulin prevented completely the development of cataracts and increased the growth of the rats to a normal level. Lowering the blood sugar by the admn. of phlorizin delayed or prevented the development of cataracts to the extent that the blood sugar was lowered. Phlorizin admn. did not improve the growth of diabetic rats.