The medical use of a nonmedical product: melted tar.

The use of hot tar in industry is widespread, and burns caused by this agent remain a problem. Instead of being classified as chemical injuries, these burns compose a unique class of thermal injury because of the difference of mechanisms of injury and the difficulties in removing the agent from the skin. Tar burns usually are occupational in nature and are observed mostly in male patients. This report presents a female burn case that had occurred after she applied hot tar to her skin for the treatment purposes of pain relief.