TETANUS

Each time a dirty needle is stuck into a vein or under the skin, it is just like stepping on a rusty nail; the wound becomes infected.  One of the infections that may develop is tetanus or lockjaw.  Tetanus is usually 100% fatal and often kills within a few days.

The addict in these pictures died from tetanus.  The sores on the leg are the result of infections from skin popping.  While death is rapid, it is a very painful way to die.  Lockjaw does not mean that only the muscles of the jaw lock.  Many muscles of the body go into spasm and the pain is much more intense than a normal muscle cramp.  In this case, the muscles of the abdomen went into spasm.  The muscular contraction was so strong that they actually tore apart.  The torn abdominal muscle is seen in the picture at right.

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