Abstract: An agent for dehydrating corneas, in particular eye corneas for organ culture, contains the culture medium and as dehydrating substance hydroxyethylstarch with a mean molecular weight Mw from 070,000 to 200,000, an MS substitution degree from 0.15 to 0.5, a DS substitution degree from 0.15 to 0.5 and a C2-C6 substitution ratio at the anhydroglucose units .ltoreq.8. The dehydrating substance is preferably hydroxyethylstarch with a mean molecular weight Mw 130,000.+-.20,000, an MS substitution degree from 0.38 to 0.45, a DS substitution degree from 0.32 to 0.40 and a C2-C6 substitution ratio at the anhydroglucose units from 8 to 20. The hydroxyethylstarch is used in a concentration from 1 to 20 (weight/vol.) %, preferably from 2 to 15 (weight/vol.) %, and in particular of 7.5% (weight/vol.).