The intramuscular administration of the salts of heavy metals, as used in the treatment of patients with syphilis, has always been looked on as connected with certain risks as there have been a number of local accidents which could hardly be altogether eliminated. Of late, Barthélemy1 has studied the accidents occurring after injections of the insoluble bismuth salts and has come to the conclusion that three factors may be responsible for them: the condition of the muscle tissue, the peculiar qualities of the drug and faulty technic. Barthélemy's1 statement with special reference to the insoluble bismuth salts may really be applied with certain restrictions to heavy metal salts in general
In some patients, the drug is absorbed fairly well, but the muscle tissue becomes fibrous. The French speak of this condition as "fesses de bois." When an attempt is made later to give another injection in the same