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TO THE EDITOR: Two methods of treating diabetic retinopathy, namely, photocoagulation and hypophysectomy, are now being used with some limited success. Both are reported to produce a constriction of retinal vessels, although the exact mechanism is still under investigation. Several workers in this field report that diabetic retinopathy does not usually develop in eyes which have some degree of optic atrophy.My clinical years in tropical ophthalmology proved to me that varying degrees of optic atrophy and attenuation of retinal vessels can be produced by quinine, more or less in direct proportion to the amount of quinine ingested.Because of these facts, it is suggested that a thorough and well-controlled study be made, by serial retinal photographs, visual fields, etc, in an institution or institutions, of the use of quinine in the treatment of severe progressive diabetic retinopathy.A medical treatment of this presently almost hopeless condition, if successful, could