Transparency and power of post-mortem human lenses: variation with age and sex.

Lenses of various ages were immersed in castor-oil and used to project gratings of known spatial frequency. Measurements were made of the highest frequency that could be resolved, and also of the optical power of each lens. Parameters included age, days post-mortem, and sex. The variation of the power differed appreciably as between infant and adult lenses, reflecting on the mechanical components of the lenses. Women's lenses were found to be more powerful than those of men. There was no decrease in transparency for up to seven weeks post-mortem. There was no significant variation of transparency with age, but women's lenses were somewhat less transparent than those of men.