Episode 796: Episode Revisit - The Radium Girls

Hey weirdos, I'm Ash. >> And I'm Elena. >> And this is Morbid. >> [music]. >> This is [music] Morbid. >> even know why I sang it. It just started. happening and I went with it. >> Ash is. scunty. >> Yeah. >> [laughter]. >> I believe the words you're looking for. >> is scunty.

>> scunty. >> and country. [laughter]. >> But. me and Mikey have determined that she. shall remain as such today. Op, she opened the diet. >> diet Coke opening [laughter]. cuz that's a scunty behavior. >> She is in a place of scunt right. [laughter] now. >> Serving scunt. Scunt. >> [laughter]. >> Truly. >> Truly serving scunt. >> We did magic this morning and I.

>> [laughter]. >> We did. Why are you laughing? That's the. truth. >> What? You just like, I don't know. We. just did magic this morning. So. >> There's [laughter] more. There's more. We did magic this morning and we did. manifestations. And I manifested some love and light and. abundance and I'm feeling all of those. things. >> She's feeling abundant. >> I think cuz mine went crazy.

>> It did go crazy. >> think it just reignited my scunty soul. It said, "Baby, party on, playa.". >> I think it's supposed Isn't. astrologically there's some uh some. [ __ ] happening? >> Chiron's in retrograde. >> That exactly. >> know if it's Chiron or Chiron, so come. at me, bro, but [laughter]. >> Is that good or is that bad? >> that's pretty bad. >> Oh, okay. That makes sense. >> Let me do a little Google. >> Do a little goog. >> I need to get it under wraps. Hold on. >> Do a little.

Yeah, it just went into retrograde. Oh, I'll tell you what it means for you. and your astrological sign, not all of. you, but Capricorns and Geminis. >> Yeah, let's go. >> Accept the cookies cuz that's the only. thing you're allowed to do in life. [laughter]. >> I always accept cookies in reality. >> Yeah, obviously. So, consider it an. asteroid and a comet. Chiron-Charon. begins its annual retrograde on July. 26th. It will take place as. Chiron-Charon is positioned in the first. zodiac sign of Aries, where it has been.

since 2018. And it's going to last until. the day after your birthday, Elena. >> Oh. >> Day after your birthday, the day of your. birthday, Elena. So, for me. Chiron-Charon retrograde holds a mirror. to the medicine within you. Medicine for. yourself, which when claimed becomes. medicine for all. Like Chiron-Charon's. mythological journey, retrograde is an. invitation to step into the role of. healer and observe how your experiences. and the gold you've gleaned from them. are your offering to the world.

>> I like it. >> know if it resonates, but whatever. >> All you Geminis. Okay. >> Geminis. No, Capricorn. Chiron-Charon is a. doorway between the spiritual and the. human. And for the last 6 years, Chiron-Charon. 6 years, we've been doing the podcast. for 6 years. >> Woah. >> Hopefully that's I haven't read ahead, so I don't know if. >> know what this is. >> has been cracking open the foundations. of who you are so that you can remember. yourself as this doorway. >> Huh? >> This retrograde invites you deep within. traveling with you down into your roots, formative years, and earlier memories. There is medicine here waiting for you.

And I'm the medicine. Oh my goodness. Take a dose, [ __ ]. >> [laughter]. >> Just a spoonful of sugar. >> Also, just to. just to say who I was reading that from, >> [laughter]. >> Oh, that would be my tagline if I was a. housewife. >> [laughter]. >> I'm the medicine. Take a dose, [ __ ]. >> There it is. [laughter]. You found your housewives. Let's go. >> Tagline. >> I got t-shirts. Um just to just to give credit where. credit is due. That was from the Yoga.

Journal. >> Thanks, Yoga Journal. >> You're welcome. >> So, all you Capricorns and Geminis out. there, now you know that one of you is. the medicine and the other one needs it. So. >> And. >> [laughter]. >> wait, what a beautiful. outside look glance at our relationship. I love that. >> Sometimes you're the medicine, though. >> I hope so. >> Sometimes. >> I don't always need the. >> [laughter]. >> I don't always need the medicine. >> You don't always need me? >> No, I'm so I'm asking like do I'm like, okay, good. I'm not the one that always. needs the medicine. >> No. >> That's good. >> Sometimes. Sometimes.

>> No, a lot of the time. I Oh, I need the. medicine. [laughter]. Well, speaking of medicine. >> and chaotic energy. >> Speaking of. uh you know, scientific advancements in. medicine, we're going to talk about the Radium. Girls today. >> The Radium [clears throat] Girls? >> Yes. So, that it's See, did you see that. segue? We're talking about medicine and. science and chemical elements and [ __ ]. You know, it's there. Uh but we're going to talk about the. Radium Girls today, everybody.

Um this is a little different. It's a. different uh. true crime. And my tummy's growling. I. don't know if anyone heard that. It's. >> digesting the eggplant. >> It is. I had eggplant. >> Parmesan. >> Uh but this is a little different case. cuz it's not like. >> Is it like dark history sort of? Okay. >> Yeah, it's definitely, you know, most people would say a crime has. occurred here. >> You told me a couple of things that it. sure sounds like it. >> kind. So, let's get into it, shall we?

So, we're going to start off first by. kind of giving a brief, you know, look. into what radium is. >> Yeah, cuz I don't know if I know. >> Without understanding radium, this isn't going to hit as hard I mean, it's going to hit, but you're going to. be like, what the [ __ ] is that?". >> Yeah. So, in 1898, after spending years. researching the radioactive nature of. mineral pitchblende, of which uranium is. a major element, >> Okay. >> Polish-French scientist, you might have. heard of her, Marie Curie.

>> Marie Curie? >> Madam Curie. >> I thought that sounded familiar. >> And her hubby, Pierre. >> Pierre. >> They concluded that the pitchblende. contained at least two other previously. undiscovered chemical elements. One of. these elements was radium. Now, a lot of elements on the periodic. table are are freely occurring elements. >> Yes. >> Radium is not one of those. Um a freely. occurring element is an element that is. not combined with or chemically bonded.

with other chemical elements. >> Okay. >> But, radium instead is a byproduct. produced in the decay of uranium, another radioactive element. >> Oh, okay. That's interesting. >> Yeah. See? So, radium requires a very long. process of isolation in order to be. extracted. Um in fact, with the help of her. laboratory assistant, Andre, I hope I. say this right, Debierne. >> Debierne. >> Um Debierne. Madam Curie required. several tons of pitchblende before she.

was able to extract just 1/10. of a gram of radium. >> Whoa. >> So, it is. incre- it was incredibly rare. So, Curie's discovery of radium was. notable for many reasons. One of the. biggest was that it proved to that there. were other elements in nature that were. not even discovered yet. >> Yeah, that's so cool. >> like, "Holy [ __ ] We didn't even know. about that.". >> How cool that a woman found it. >> She's a She's a badass. >> Totally. >> Um also, the discovery of radium served. as the foundation of Curie's work in. physics, which later she would get.

awarded a Nobel Prize in chemistry for. >> Wow. >> And in the years that followed, she. spent the majority of her career focused. on isolating pure metallic radium, which. she achieved in 1910. >> That must have been a little bit scary. for her. >> Oh, yeah. She's a badass. >> Yeah. >> She did all kinds of [ __ ]. Uh the girls have like one of those. little like Who Was books. >> Yeah. >> on Marie Curie. And they also have like a just like a. standalone book about Marie Curie. actually. >> So, Marie Curie correctly theorized that.

among its potential uses, this new. element she found could have important. and honestly revolutionary applications. in medicine. >> Aw, like me. >> segue. Uh but the fact remained that it. was really difficult and super costly to. isolate and extract. It's not like this. was easy to do. >> Right. >> It was also true that although not as. well established or understood, radium. was seriously hazardous and very. difficult to handle. For instance, in 1901, this is crazy.

In 1901, the Curies gave a fellow. scientist a tiny little amount of radium. to present at a conference in Paris. >> Mhm. >> And before leaving for France, this man. tucked It was in a little vial. >> Yeah. >> Like a glass vial. So, he tucked that. vial into an interior pocket of his. jacket. >> And then he exploded. >> It's sealed. Didn't open up. But the next time he undressed, he. noticed a red mark on his stomach that. appeared to be worsening in the hours.

and days that followed. >> And according to author Kate Moore, she. said, quote, "It didn't get bigger, but. it seemed somehow to get deeper as. though his body was still exposed to the. source of the wound and the flame was. burning him still.". >> Oh my god. >> So, what that scientist didn't know at. the time was that he was experiencing a. radiation burn from the tiny amount of. radium in the vial that he and the. Curies believed was totally safely. stored in there. >> Wow. >> one of the other challenges of radium. was that it has a relatively short shelf.

life and begins to break down really. quickly, which is no bueno. >> Yeah. >> Cuz it releases alpha, beta, and gamma. radiation in the process, which is very. damaging to living systems and tissue in. unchecked amounts. >> Okay. >> So while the glass vial itself might. have been safely tucked away in his. jacket, the element inside that vial was. blasting out radiation waves directly. into his skin. >> Oh my god, and probably like anybody. that was even near him.

>> Yeah. Other people could have been. >> exposed, yeah. >> In this and other cases of minor. exposure, and that's minor exposure. Uh. the injury appears like a worsening. burn, like it keeps getting worse, but. the body will heal itself on its own. eventually when it's separated from the. source. But in more severe cases or in. cases of repeated exposure to this. radiation, you can be disfigured or you can die. >> Wow. >> Cuz as we'll see in the in this case of. the radium girls, if it gets inside of you,

it just keeps. >> pumping out radiation. >> It's like it keeps getting lit and lit. and lit. Like it doesn't heal. It won't. allow your body to heal itself. >> Oh, that's so scary. >> wounds won't heal themselves. >> Oh my god. >> You could get if you're if you ingest. this radium and you scratched your arm, >> Mhm. >> it wouldn't [clears throat] heal. You'd. have an open wound. >> forever. >> and that would be it. >> What the [ __ ]. >> So despite the dangerous and costly. risks associated with handling and. extracting radium, it did seem like a.

huge thing of value for a lot of. different avenues. Like if we if they. could get it under control, particularly. in manufacturing. In its process of decay, the particles. inside of it charge one of its. phosphorus components, zinc sulfide. And this causes what a lot of people. know about radium, a green glow. >> Okay. >> Phosphorescence kind of glow. >> Yeah. >> Because the glow is a natural part of. the process of decay of radium, it real.

it didn't need an external source of. power to make that happen, which is like. a really ideal source of light for. certain circumstances and environments. >> Mhm. >> That being said, this luminescent glow. was pretty minimal, and it continued to. break down over time, so it was limited. with how it could be used. But, throughout the first decade of the 20th. century, several extraction plants were. established across the US to like. harness the power of radium. >> Wow. >> Cuz they were just like, "What is this?". Like. >> What can we do with this? >> Like, what do we do with this?

>> Cool. >> Bro, it glows. Like, we got to do this. >> out. >> cool. Now, among those enthusiastic. about the potential of radium was Dr. Sabin, I think it's Sabin, Arnold von. Szochoki. >> Woah. >> Uh who was a chemical scientist who in. 1915 developed luminescent paint. >> Ooh. >> The paint seemed to be an ideal use for. radium, since it really didn't require. much radium to produce, and it could be. used to paint clock and watch faces, instrument panels, and other objects.

that really required minimal light to be. seen in the dark, but it could make. certain things glow. So, you could. especially the clock faces, like I if if. you've seen them from like the '50s and. stuff, like a clock with like that green. glow. That's that. >> Oh, okay. >> So, that same year Szochoki partnered. with Dr. George Willis to establish the. Radium Luminous Materials Corporation, which it was aimed at radium extraction. and the production of luminescent paint.

The next year, the company was renamed. the United States Radium Corporation, and the mission was the scope of the. mission was narrowed to the production. and application of the luminescent. paint. And factories were then opened in. Newark and Orange, New Jersey. So, all. of a sudden, radium is becoming a thing. Now, in the winter of 1917, a young girl named Katherine Schaub was. like many of the girls who had come to. work at US Radium. She was intelligent, she was very enthusiastic, and she was.

driven to achieve great things in her. life. >> Nice. >> At just 14 years old, >> she decided to act on a tip about jobs. in the paint application department of. US Radium. So, she quit her job at the. department store she was working at, walked into the plant manager's office, and convinced that man to hire her. >> Hell yeah, girl. >> Which like, what a badass. At 14 years. old, absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Throughout much of the 20th century, factories and manufacturing jobs were. honestly among the most reliable sources. of employment for working-class. Americans of all ages, really,

particularly those with poor education. or limited specialty skills. >> Sure. >> Still, the work tended to be like. tedious, kind of menial, dangerous. So, the jobs were not very coveted. They. were just things like, everybody can do. this. The painting jobs at US Radium, on the. other hand, seemed to offer something a. little more exciting than the typical. factory assembly line job. >> Mhm. >> Um, so, what Katherine had said was the. work was interesting and of a far higher.

type than the usual factory job. Because unlike factory floors, which. were like dirty, loud, dangerous, just. like, >> Yeah. >> not where you want to be. The. application rooms at US Radium were. referred to as a studio. >> Ooh, that's swanky. >> Yeah, like they would they really knew. how to market these jobs. And this was. where talented young women with a steady. hand and creativity, they worked with an. exciting new product called luminescent. paint. >> Ooh. >> And at a time when it was being touted. as, quote, "a wonder element," radium,

and selling for $120,000. per gram, which is roughly $3,000 in. 2024, >> Blink, blink. >> Yeah. >> Blink, blink. >> the opportunity to work with radium was. very thrilling. >> Absolutely. >> exciting, very like, oh my good like. glamorous, even. >> Yeah. >> Especially those who would never have. access to it otherwise. And honestly, they got like I think they got something. like three times the amount they would. get in a normal factory. Like very well. paid. And it was just like no and I.

think they hired a certain they wanted a. certain look for these factory where so. they really went for like the whole vibe. of this whole thing. >> This is so interesting. >> Very interesting. The job was simple. enough at its core. >> Okay. >> The pre-printed paper clock watch and. instrument dials came in and they came. in in like a large stack. And each girl. would work as quickly as they could to. apply the luminescent paint to the. letters and numbers on the dial giving. them that glow. >> Yeah. >> That we know.

But for girls like Catherine Shawb, the. girl was the job was so much more than. just you know tracing lines on a paper. as fast as she could. In addition to. applying the paint, each dial painter. was responsible for mixing her own. paint. Which meant adding a small amount. of the radium powder to water and gum. adhesive to create the glowing paint. That was marketed as undark. >> Okay. >> Which I'm like. who came up with that name? >> Undark. >> Cuz they're like it glows so it's not. dark. Let's call it undark.

Like okay. >> As they worked though, the radium powder. got everywhere. It covered the studio. and it covered the painters in a fine. coating. of what they thought was this fancy. [ __ ] powder. >> Oh god. >> That's it's rare. It's this wonder. element and I'm covered in it, you know, like and it's just like and it's not. dirty. It makes you glow. >> Yeah. >> Like it's it's got a luminescence to it. You almost look like you're sparkling.

It's like it's like. >> what we would use like highlighter for. now. >> Exactly. It's got that like vibe to it. So I think it it had this whole mystique. that they were definitely feeding into. >> Mhm. >> Now the work of a dial painter wasn't. just a matter of chemistry and honestly. speed because they wanted them to do it. as fast as they could. It also required. a little bit of skill and a lot of. creativity. Because the products created by US. Radium from wristwatches, instrument. panels, you know, clocks for the wall, they were really small, these little. elements that they had to paint. And.

often they had these like tiny little. details, but these tiny details were. really critical to their operation and. if they were going to be used or not. Like for example, the smallest pocket. watches that they produced measured just. 3 and 1/2 cm across the face. >> Wow. >> And then like so that's tiny, tiny. little like millimeter things they had. to paint. >> Yeah. >> They couldn't just like swipe it over. it. They had to like trace the thing. So to ensure accuracy, dial painters.

worked with really tiny brushes. They. were like camel hair brushes and they. had to. be capable of doing the finest details. So one painter said, "I had never seen a. brush as fine as that. I would say it. possibly had about 30 hairs in it. It. was exceptionally fine.". >> Wow. >> Because the consequences of an error. could be very costly to the company, you. know, accuracy and consistency in these. little tiny details was very, very, very. important. The brushes were delicate and.

slim for sure as we hear, but the. bristles would like spread out after a. while like any brush, you know, they. they just get worn after a while. >> when you're working quickly, I'm sure. >> Exactly, cuz you're really doing this as. fast as you can. That was going to make. mistakes happen. So what Schaub said was we put the. brushes in our mouths. Because that was a technique they had. made up called lip pointing. And it was passed down from the earliest. dial painters who were themselves hired. away from their previous jobs as. painters of China dolls. So they were.

they could do those fine details. Lip. pointing was when the painter would wet. the bristles of the brush with their. lips or their tongue. >> Oh god. >> Pressing those bristles together to make. that fine tip like we would with like a. regular brush. You know, like you just. to get it really thin. >> Not covered in radium. >> No. The girls, totally unbeknownst to. them, while lip pointing was the. standard practice in the US, it was not. that way in Europe. In fact, European manufacturers had.

completely abandoned brushes altogether. because they ended up using like. implements that would hold that fine. point so they wouldn't have to do that. >> Okay. >> Like glass rods, sharpened sticks, even. like metal needles. >> Always more advanced. >> And it didn't ever cross the girls'. minds that putting the brush. covered in radioactive material in their. mouths could be dangerous because while. the dial workers were hard at work in. the factory, wealthy and elite people. all over the nation were saying how.

radium is the greatest discovery in the. ages. Like they used it in glassware, in. lingerie, in toothpastes. Miracle cures were being made with it. Like it was being touted as like the. [ __ ] cure-all. Like this is going to. be the thing that changes everything. So, why the [ __ ] wouldn't you think it's. in toothpaste? >> Oh my. >> Why can't it be in my mouth? >> Even though it had literally like in a. contained small vial like burned that. man? >> Yeah. >> That that they just didn't release that.

information or. >> A lot of this is shh. >> Why? >> Yeah. One product actually marketed to men at. this time was a tonic that they said. restored vitality to the elderly making. old men young. >> I don't know about that, baby. >> you can drink it as a tonic, >> god. >> of course you can quickly put a [ __ ]. brush that's been dipped in it on your. lips for a second. Why wouldn't you? >> No. >> And from And the thing is they were.

being told by the people who owned these. corporations and factories, it is. completely safe. >> Right. >> Stick it in your mouth. It's fine. Put it on your like whatever you like. this radium isn't going to hurt you. >> Oh god. >> told. >> It's beautiful. Look at it. >> it glows. You'll you're sparkly. So they. were like, okay. Why wouldn't they. believe that? >> Yeah, no, totally. >> So from the moment the Curies isolated. and extracted radium from uranium, it. was apparent the element was dangerous. and destructive. Like you just. mentioned, it burned a guy's stomach.

just being in a glass vial in his. pocket. >> Yep. >> The problem it seems was a matter of. communication more than the actual. knowledge that everyone had. So Georgetown radiation expert Timothy. Jorgensen said people knew that. radioactivity released energy and they. didn't see how adding some energy to. their bodies could possibly be harmful. >> Okay. >> They just weren't. >> Yeah, science wasn't that advanced yet. >> weren't told that like this isn't the. kind of energy you want to be adding to. your body. >> Right, like there's good energy and bad.

energy. >> Yeah. So in fact, despite the price of. products containing radium, enthusiasm. for the product seemed to be. never-ending. I mean it had like a. boundless potential to be everything. For example, advertisements for. Radithor, a health tonic, sold the. elixir as a cure for the living dead. and perpetual sunshine. And it promised to cure everything from. arthritis to gout. >> Wow. >> Yeah. So it was like the thing.

And the public's understanding or. probably better labeled and Dave said. this which is very true. Uh. public misunderstanding. It was a it was. a catastrophic. misunderstanding. by the public because of the people on. top. >> Right. >> on top were causing this. misunderstanding cuz they just wanted to. get rich. Go, yeah, exactly. Uh the. public's misunderstanding of radium. seems probably like we're looking at. this today in 2024 goggles being like. oh my god. Like why are you not.

understanding that radioactivity is bad? But in the early part of the 20th. century, when most people's education. stopped after uh grammar school, scientific knowledge was pretty limited, like you said. And as is often the case today, people. just keyed in on buzzwords and. associated scientific discovery with. human progress. And of course, it's going to be unquestionably. positive, right? Like we're all. progressing. We're evolving. This is. great technology.

And as a result, the public honestly. rarely questioned, and we've seen this. in a few cases, they rarely questioned whether products. containing radium radium was safe. And. they've done that throughout history, we've seen that. I mean, look at arsenic. eaters, like there's all kinds of times. when they're just being led to believe. that this is fine by all these companies. pushing these products on people. And it. it's easy to go along with the flow and. think that you're being told the truth. when and not questioning. That's why it's important to question.

>> Especially because something has a. seemingly desirable outcome. >> Exactly. That's exactly it. Now, quite. the opposite, in fact, they developed a. rabid enthusiasm for the fad of. consuming radium-based products whenever. possible. So, it really went the other. way. And in the radium dial factories, where. the dial painters were in literal. constant contact with the powder and. paint, enthusiasm for radium was at an. all-time high. In fact, some of the girls actually. liked consuming the small amounts of.

paint because they liked the way it. tasted. >> Oh, that's interesting. >> Yeah. >> Apparently, it tasted good. >> It's like pica. >> Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Now, the problem, of course, was that. radium was literally anything that's. safe. It was everything unsafe, quite. the opposite. And although it did have. promising applications in medicine, cuz. we are able to harness very unsafe. chemicals, >> Yeah. >> when, you know, people know how to do. that and make them safe, you know, like. but by itself, no.

>> Mhm. >> It wasn't, you know, it wasn't as a. tonic or other health fad. Like they. wasn't being safe in those usages. Medicine, you sure, you're going to. figure out a way to make that safe. Tonics, health fads, [ __ ] all that. [ __ ] like toothpastes and [ __ ] no. We're not getting it right there. And by. the time World War I was in full swing, the radium plants and their dial. painters were working overtime to meet. growing demand for these clocks, watches, all this stuff. Yet at the same. time that these young women were.

inhaling and consuming small amounts of. radium, Marie Curie and her husband were. beginning to understand the destructive. power of the element that they. discovered. >> Oh, man. >> And it was true that radium had the. ability, which is. I mean, incredible. It has the ability. to destroy tumors and other cancerous. growths. That's where we get radiation. Like that's Of course, we look at it. today and we say like, where would we. be? >> Right. >> You know? >> Um. >> But the more they worked with it, the. more they began to recognize that its. power to do that was indiscriminate.

It was just as likely to destroy healthy. cells as it was to destroy health. unhealthy. So, it's like. >> That's not what we're looking for. >> We just need to harness it the correct. way and we have not. And it's like. Now the whole world is just like eating. this [ __ ] up. So, it wasn't just the Curies who knew. it either. The founder of US Radium, Dr. Sabin Arnold von Sochocky, had also become very, very familiar with. the destructive power of radium.

>> How familiar? >> Yeah, according to author Kate Moore, who we will cite the sources in the. notes, of course, early in the company's history, radium. had actually gotten into von Sochocky's. left index finger. And she said, quote, when he realized, he hacked the tip of it off. Saying it now looked as though an animal. had grow had gnawed it. >> What? >> This was because, according to Timothy. Jorgensen, radium behave behaves very much like.

calcium. Because the body is accustomed. to using calcium to build bone, it will. recognize radium as a kind of calcium. And so it will absorb the radioactive. material into your bone, and then it. will just begin to decay your bone. >> What the [ __ ]. >> Because it mistakes it for calcium. So. it just takes it. and thinks it needs to like push it out. to the rest of your body to reabsorb. >> Oh, wow. >> calcium, and that's why it just. destroys.

Cuz it just gets pumped out. That's It's. That's horrifying, but it's also so. fascinating. >> exactly. That your body can't tell the. difference. >> Isn't it wild? It kind of mimics it. >> Yeah, like the body's so smart, obviously. And like there are miraculous. things that the body does, but then to. to have something be so dangerous into. your system and to just be like, "Oh, calcium.". >> Yeah. >> Like body, no. >> Like body, no. >> But this is all to say, within at least. a few years of founding his company, US.

Radium, Von Sochocky knew radium-based. paint was highly toxic and. extraordinarily. dangerous. >> You just got so Boston. >> extraordinarily. >> I don't know how to say that the other. way. >> extraordinarily. >> extraordinarily. >> great. Okay, papa. >> extraordinarily dangerous, but he kept. that little bit of knowledge from his. employees. >> Oh, good. And they're just eating the. paint. >> [ __ ] up to say the very, very least. >> Yep.

>> In fact, as soon as most painters were. introduced to the lip pointing. technique, most inquired as to whether. the paint was, you know, in any way. harmful. That was everybody's first. question. >> like, "Cool that I do this or not?". >> That Cuz that's the thing, like. I It's not like these girls walked in. there and were just like chemical sure. I'll just eat it. >> Like they they asked the people in. charge. The people who should be telling. them whether these things are dangerous. >> Right. >> And these people all their managers. would say go for it. It's completely.

safe. >> And knowing it wasn't. >> Knowing how bad it was. Now within a few years many dial. painters in the New Jersey factories had. actually become like local celebrities. Like this was a glamorous. >> Wow, that's so crazy. >> Isn't that wild? >> Yes. >> Cuz unlike traditional factory workers. like I was saying before they had kind. of a vibe they were going for. >> They were young attractive and those. that earned a decent wage were often. happy to spend at least some of that.

money to you know look good. They were. getting the latest fashions. So they. were they were always looked at as these. glamazons that just like work in this. this studio painting with luminescent. paint and they always come out covered. you know like it was like this whole. vibe. And above all else it was the radium. itself that made these girls instantly. recognizable as being radium girls who. worked in those in the factories. Because during their hours spent in the. studio like we said before it was.

impossible to not get radium dust all. over you in your hair on your clothes. So when they would leave work for the. day they had an unmistakable neon glow. >> Stop it. >> would walk out of there as the sun's. going down and they're glowing. >> Literally. >> Yeah. And the painter Edna Bolz said when I. would go home at night my clothes. clothing would shine in the dark. You. could see where I was my hair my face. the girls shown like the watches did in. the dark room. >> Wow. >> So like you just watch this like line of.

beautiful young girls. >> glowing. >> come out glowing. >> Physically legitimately in every sense. of the word. >> glowing. >> Like that must have been like of course. you wanted just like idolize this whole. situation. It just must seem so like. otherworldly and like wild, you know? >> it absolutely does. Like ethereal. >> Yeah. Like some of the the young women. and girls would wear clothing to work. that they wanted to wear to the dance. later like on Fridays.

And they would do that so they would get. the radium glow on that dress that they. wanted to wear and then later at the. dance they would be [ __ ] glowing on. the dance floor. >> like, >> everybody's like, there's that radium. girl. And it's like they this was. awesome. >> Oh my goodness. >> But not everyone was as enthusiastic. about the job or the effects of working. with the paint. >> Okay. >> According to Moore, some found the paint. made them sick. One woman even got sores. on her mouth after just a month of. working there. >> Uh-huh. >> And within a few years even those who.

loved their jobs like Catherine Schaub, they started to notice that there were. certain reactions that they were having. trouble explaining. After just a year in the studio, Catherine started getting really bad. acne. and went to go see a doctor. And at. first the doctor was like, oh, you know, puberty. You were you're 15. So the. doctor was like, you know, you're 15. years old. It's probably puberty. >> Yeah. >> But then he ran some simple blood tests. just to make sure everything was on the. up and up and he noticed some pretty. unusual changes that he'd seen in other.

factory workers and he said they were. ones that had been exposed to high. levels of phosphorus. >> Okay. >> And as far as Catherine knew, she didn't. work with or even near any phosphorus. So the anomalies in the blood were just. kind of like, this is perplexing. >> Yeah, that's weird. That's suspicious. >> Neither Catherine nor any of the other. girls knew it, but they were working in very close. proximity to phosphorus and it was. beginning to affect them physically. >> Oh god. >> This was part of the whole thing.

>> Right. >> The symptoms, but they weren't told. that. The symptoms of radiation. poisoning were alarming to Catherine and. her co-workers, but their minds were. then set at ease because Dr. Von. Sochocky's partner, Dr. George Willis, told them there was nothing to worry. about. Don't worry about it. Has nothing. to do with your job. Shut up. Stop going. to the doctor. Don't worry about it. Look over here. Shut up. As Moore pointed out, when one of the. greatest radium authorities tells you. that there you have no need to worry, quite simply, you don't. You don't. worry. Yeah. In fact, Willis'.

reassurances were so comforting that the. girls even began to laugh off the. increasing frequency of weird. occurrences. Like they were just kind of. like, "Whoa, this is so weird." Like. It. can't have anything to do with this. >> Oh god. >> Including painter Grace Fryer, who. recalled, quote, "Nasal discharges on my. handkerchief used to be luminous in the. dark.". >> What? >> Yeah. >> So her boogers were shining? >> were shining. >> Oh my god. >> Sometimes for fun or to make an each. other laugh, the girls would paint their.

faces, their nails, and even their teeth. with the radium paint. >> No. >> Mhm. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. Now, despite their employers' insistence. that everything was on the up and up, everything is entirely, completely, don't worry about it, safe. Couldn't be. safer. Could not be safer. The fact. remains that many people, painters and. ordinary citizens, were continuing to. get sick. Some, like the worker who complained of. the mouth sores after a month,

>> Yeah. >> showed signs of radiation burns. Well, others had more complicated problems cuz. radiation burns at least, you know, like. that that scientist, when you're taken. away from the radiation, usually your. body can heal itself. But others had. more complicated problems like bone. deterioration. Some girls took their. concerns straight to their regular. doctors, but because radiation poisoning. and radiation burns were so uncommon, their symptoms and injuries were like. mostly misdiagnosed as other things.

Others who went to their managers or. company doctors were just ignored or. worse, they were just the company. doctors or managers would just. misdiagnose them with sexually. transmitted diseases. Are you kidding. me? >> To smear the reputations of the women. >> Knowing full well what was actually. happening. >> Yep. And they would do this to smear the. reputations of them to discourage them. from disclosing their symptoms to anyone. else. Because if you were being told by. your company doctor you have a sexually.

transmitted disease in the 1920s. >> Oh my god. >> And you're he's going to be like go. right ahead, go talk to your doctor. about it. Like you're not going to tell anyone. else. You're going to be you're being. shamed at that point. >> [ __ ] evil. >> Yep. And given all the ways that the dial. painters were exposed to radium, it was. dentists who usually heard about the. first symptoms because remember a lot of. that is going in the in the mouth area. >> Mhm. >> Beginning in the late 1910s girls were. showing up at their dentist's office.

with complaints of tooth pain, loose. teeth, ulcers were showing up and in. more extreme cases where the teeth had. to be pulled, dental surgeons started. noticing that the sockets wouldn't heal. >> Oh my god. >> stay an open wound and not heal. And. then they would become infected. >> Right, of course. It's your [ __ ]. mouth. >> were like what the [ __ ] is this? And. these symptoms caused by exposure to. radium and its tendency to decay bone. matter were eventually lumped together.

into what was informally referred to as. radium jaw. You can Google radium jaw. at your own risk. >> Is it horrible? >> It's just very upsetting. >> I'm about to. >> So when the war ended in late 1918, demand for radium dials decreased. Like. dramatic decrease. As did the need for. so many dial painters. We didn't need as. many. >> Yeah, Mikey and Ash just looked it up at. the same time. You had a.

Yeah, that's the one. That's the one. >> Uh-huh. >> That's the one. It's just a total jaw. gone. You both did the same gasp at the same. time. >> We're both air signs. >> and I knew you both looked. >> Yeah. >> Again, at your own risk, it's graphic. and upsetting. >> It's so upsetting that people knew how. dangerous this was and they were like, "Yeah, go for it. Drink the tonic.". >> Yeah, just stick that brush in your. mouth. Um but yeah, so while there was still a.

demand for luminescent watches as the. war ended in 1918, um that demand was. not enough to keep the hundreds of dial. painters employed. Like there was a lot. of dial painters. So the companies, including US Radium, cut back the workforce. >> Okay. >> Still used them though. And many of the. painters who were then in their late. teens and early 20s chose to quit their. jobs and get married and start families. What this started a second wave of. really scary symptoms. Now that these.

girls are saying, "Well, I want to start. a family.". >> Right. >> Even before attempting to get pregnant. and have children, many of the painters. had noticed that they had very strange. changes to their menstrual cycles. >> I Yeah, I would. >> Yep. And then when they began trying to. get pregnant, they struggled to conceive. and eventually learned that they were. sterile. >> Oh my god, how heartbreaking. >> Yeah. And finally, many of the women who were. able to conceive somehow were soon. absolutely heartbroken by stillbirths,

by miscarriages, and by {quote}. deformities in body structure of their. babies. >> That's so [ __ ]. >> The far-reaching consequences of this. are astronomical. >> Truly. >> The first death came in 1922, but only. after a long and when I tell you. excruciating, I mean excruciatingly. painful illness by this person. >> Oh, no. >> A year earlier, 1921 in September,

former dial painter girl Molly Maja had. visited her dentist and she had to have. a tooth removed. >> Yeah. >> cuz she had pain. Weeks later, however, she was still. experiencing pain and that socket had. not healed weeks later. So, she went. back to the dentist who just diagnosed. her with pyorrhea, which is an. inflammatory disease of the gums. >> Okay. >> And started treating her for that. Weeks later, however, it got worse and. so had her intense lower jaw pain.

To everyone around her, it was very. clear she was in terrible pain as her. teeth were literally slowly and visibly. rotting in her jaw. >> Oh, god. >> For no reason at all like that everybody. could see, but the doctor could not. figure out why this was happening. >> That must have been so terrifying for. her to have like suddenly start. experiencing that and then have your. doctor have no [ __ ] idea why. >> to stop it. You're in intense pain all the time. >> And you're just this young girl. >> Like so young as far as her dentist, Dr.

Joseph Neff could tell, he said it was. almost like something was attacking her. from the inside, but he couldn't tell. what. >> Yeah. >> Whatever was affecting Molly's teeth. soon spread to her jaw and caused. necrosis. >> Oh. >> Molly's teeth and jaw were literally. rotting. And in fact at one point, and this is. very graphic just so you know, at. at one point the dentist literally used. his fingers to literally pull pieces of. her jaw out.

because it just crumbled like dust in. his hands. >> I. >> Yeah. >> Oh. >> Like open wounds in her mouth. >> Oh my god. >> just. essentially scooped her jaw out with his. hands unintentionally, but it just. crumbled to dust in his hands. >> jaw, like feel how like thick and dense. your jaw is. >> your mandible is made to crush and to. withstand some pressure. >> Like think about that. >> You're supposed to be able to like.

really gnaw down on things and use it as. like a. >> And he just scooped it. >> turned to dust. Cuz that's what it does. It destroys the. cells in there. >> And then you're just disfigured. >> Oh, yeah. But beyond the unbearable physical pain. she experienced, the rapid decay of her. mouth was accompanied also, and this is. just so upsetting, by a very noticeable. odor of literal decay. >> Yeah, of course. >> and bone. >> Think about like you have like a cavity. and you're like, "Oh, [ __ ] I got to.

brush my teeth extra.". >> Yes. But hers is literally rotting. >> Like a whole side of her face. >> Yeah, essentially. >> And then her gums, too. Everything. >> had this intense embarrassment that made. her not want to be even around people. And out of ideas, her dentist visited. the radium plant and asked for the. ingredients in the compound, just hoping. to clue in on her problem. But the managers at the plant were. uncooperative and refused to provide any. information of about the paint to him. >> That's how you know.

>> Pieces of absolute [ __ ] those people. And the situation continued to confound. her doctor her dentist, Dr. Knef, and. those with whom he was consulting. He. was trying to get anybody to like he. stopped at nothing to try to get some. answers here. >> Also just to think that they were like, "Yeah, no. We're not going to tell you.". If this is happening to one girl, this. is obviously going to happen to other. people, too. Like you're going to run. into some [ __ ] So, you might as well. shut down production. >> And just be on it like try to save some. people here. >> Yeah, like call an L&L. >> Yeah. So, Dr. Knef said whenever a.

portion of the affected bone was. removed, instead of arresting the course. of necrosis, it speeded it up. By the fall of 1922, Molly's condition. had worsened and her entire jaw, having. largely disintegrated at this point, was. removed. >> Oh my god. >> And they had to remove pieces of her. inner ear as well. >> And then it's like, can you even She. probably couldn't even speak anymore. >> Oh, and it gets worse. Again, I'm going. to tell you this gets very, very. graphic, even more graphic.

It was at that time that doctors. discovered whatever had affected Molly's. teeth and jaw had now spread and was. eating away at her throat. >> Oh my god. >> So they were unable to stop this, which. is horrifying, cuz they just could Once. radiation Once it's in there, >> What are you going to do? >> anything. Like it's it's happening. So they weren't able to stop whatever. was eating away at Molly at Molly's. entire body at this point. And in. September, the disease slowly ate its. way through her jugular vein.

>> Oh my god. >> On September 12th, a little past 5:00. p.m., Molly's jugular vein erupted. because it had been eaten away, hemorrhaging blood so fast that her. sister, who was by her side while she. was in bed, could do nothing but watch her bleed to. death and choke on her own blood. It was literally a river of blood. pouring from her mouth and she just.

choked to death on her own blood. >> That's literally like something out of a. horror film. >> in her own blood. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. Like that is one of the most horrific. things I've ever heard. >> Uh 100%. Just this young girl. >> Yeah. >> her body just gets eaten by. >> They're all like in their early 20s, sometimes late teens. Like they're. young. >> Oh my god. >> And yeah. >> And her poor family to watch that happen. and her doctor, like obviously you're a.

doctor, you feel a responsibility to. help somebody and this man did. everything he could. >> Yeah. >> He. >> And he couldn't do anything. >> threw up a road blocks to him and let. Molly die. >> And at that point, even if they had found out what was. causing it, I don't like how can you. stop that? You can't. >> You You can't. >> Not that I know of, right? >> Cuz that's the problem. Like I I'd. mentioned this before and we were. shocked by it how like your body. mistakes radium for calcium. >> So it just keeps going. >> So cuz they're very I guess they're.

chemically very similar. They can be. mistaken by. you know, your body. >> body. >> But so when it tries to infuse that. radium into the bones like it does with. calcium, alpha particles are released by. the radium and that infuses into your. bones and that's what Those are the kind. of things that cause all these awful. things like cancer. Like many of these. girls, many of these young women got. like different kind of cancers later in. life. And they all cause bones to. disintegrate and rot and just it spreads. like wildfire. And you can't stop it,

really. >> It's so scary how delicate the human. body is. >> Yeah. And after Molly's funeral, the family. spoke to Dr. Knef to try to find out. what happened. Which is when they were. informed that although he had kept the. diagnosis from her at the time, he. hadn't told Molly. He said he was diagnosing her with the. only thing he knew to do and the only. thing that he had been told could was. the cause of this, which was syphilis. >> I was thinking you were going to say.

that. >> Mhm. >> But she did not have syphilis. >> do. They would just label it something. like that. The company. as you can imagine was the US Radium was. very excited to be able to use that cop. out as see, it wasn't radium poisoning, it was. syphilis and it's not our fault. >> Yeah. >> Wrong. >> When they know that wasn't the real. cause. >> No. >> Now, >> to do that to her in death? Like are you. kidding me? >> And the worst thing is it's like they. would have like a coroner's jury at this.

time. where like it was just like layman on a. jury that would like all agree on the. cause of you know what I mean? Like it. wasn't well done. So it's like. >> or anything like that. >> Exactly. Which that does change luckily, but. now as Molly was dying in New Jersey, hundreds of girls in Ottawa, Illinois. started lining up for what were promised. to be. glamorous jobs as painters at the radium. dial company. Like US Radium, the Radium Dial Company. produced luminescent clock and watch.

faces using the same lip pointing. technique as the girls in New Jersey. >> Oh, no. >> We It's not like we have social media. where everyone's going to blast out what. the [ __ ] happening in New Jersey over. here. >> Right. >> So now over in Illinois, they have no. [ __ ] clue. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. And despite the employment. employment ads stated goal of hiring. several girls 18 years or over, many of. the painters at Radium Dial were under. 18, some as young as 11 years old. >> Oh my god. And you think what that's. going to do to an 11-year-old?

>> You have no chance at that point. None. Like the girls at US Radium, the new. painters at Radium Dial quickly became, you know, local celebrities in Ottawa, making the job and making radium seem. very glamorous. >> Mhm. >> According to one local paper, the girls. were the envy of the others in the. little Illinois town when they stepped. out with their boyfriends at night. Their dresses and hats and sometimes. even their hands and faces aglow with. the phosphorescence of the luminous. paint. Like that I like a little.

>> That sounds awesome. Like anybody would. be like, "Holy [ __ ]. >> I want to sparkle for my job. >> Yeah. >> However, unlike US Radium, product and. material waste didn't seem to be a. priority at Radium Dial. >> Okay. >> US Radium is [ __ ] or was [ __ ] but. Radium Radium Dial. >> Worse. >> didn't give a [ __ ] about how dangerous. the substance was. Um. The girls frequently covered themselves. in radium powder, entertained each other. with the paint during their lunch hours, and even took vials home with them.

Here. Yeah. Uh Darlene Holm, whose aunt worked at. Radium Dial, told a reporter, "I can. remember my family talking about my aunt. bringing home the little vials of radium. paint. They would go into their bedroom. with the lights off and paint their. fingernails, their eyelids, their lips, and they'd laugh at each other because. they glowed in the dark.". >> Right. >> At home. >> Like it's just entertaining. And then you think of they're affecting. everybody at home, too, without even. knowing it. >> Yeah, exactly. Now, Holm's aunt, Peg. Looney, was one of the first girls hired.

as a painter at Radium Dial Company in. 2020 20 2022 1922 when they opened. And. like so many of the others, 17-year-old. Peg loved the job, found it so exciting. and glamorous. Also, like the others, Peg's boss at Radium Dial told her and. all the other painters that the paint. was completely safe, not harmful at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. They She. said, quote, "They told the girls it. would make them beautiful.". >> Yeah. >> So, they actually were encouraging it.

Um but within a few years, it became. clear that uh they were not being given. the correct information. Within a few years of taking the job, Peg Looney started having health. problems that one would not typically. associate with a young woman barely out. of her teens. >> Okay. >> Uh like many of the other painters, it. all started when Peg going to the. dentist and having a tooth taken out. >> Oh, no. >> The procedure was intended to relieve. some of the jaw pain that she had been. um experiencing. But in the days and.

weeks after that, the pain got worse, the extraction site still didn't heal. Things only got worse from there, and. soon after her jaw pain became so bad, and pieces of teeth and jaw bones. started falling out of her mouth. regularly. >> Oh my god. >> Yes. Like so many others, Peg's teeth and jaw. problems soon spread to other areas of. her body. She became anemic, she. couldn't walk due to crippling pain. >> Oh my god. >> Holm said her fiance used to pull her.

around the neighborhood in a wagon when. she was too ill to walk. >> Oh. >> And this is her in her early 20s. >> Yeah. >> One day in 1928, Peg collapsed at work. and the managers in Radium Dial made. sure she was rushed to the company. hospital. >> I bet. >> In fact, Holm said my grandparents and. her siblings had no say about her going. to the company hospital and we were not. allowed to visit. >> What the [ __ ] Just the fact that there. was company hospitals is even. terrifying. >> Yeah. >> They were told she had diphtheria and.

was quarantined. >> What? >> Peg Looney died in the Radium Dial. hospital at just 24 years old. >> 24? And her parents didn't even get to. go see her or see her. >> And according to her niece, the Radium. Dial company insisted that Peg be buried. right away and started making. preparations. >> Yeah, I bet. >> But by then the family was very. suspicious that the company might be. trying to hide something. So one of. them, badasses that they are, they. intervened and insisted the family be.

allowed to give Peg a Catholic burial. >> Yeah. >> And the company relented and even agreed. to allow to have an autopsy performed. in the presence of Looney's doctor. But when the doctor arrived at the. scheduled time, they said, "Oh, the. autopsy's already been completed.". >> Oh, crazy. >> anything. It was just diphtheria. >> Oh, yeah, totally. But yeah. >> For sure, for sure. >> This is so [ __ ] shady as [ __ ]. >> Big companies usually are. >> Yep. >> Peg was just the first of many Radium.

Dial painters to become ill with. mysterious illnesses and the company. just kept attempting to minimize them or. cover them up. In 1925, another painter, Catherine Donohue, also started feeling. sick and experiencing incredible pain in. her hip that actually caused a limp. And in 1931, Radium Dial fired Donahue. because, quote, "My limping was causing. much talk." Ugh. She and she told a reporter that in. 1938. Her story was like so many others.

Her pain soon spread. Parts of her jaw. started falling out of her [ __ ] head, and she eventually became bedridden and. unable to walk. And the local doctor was unable to. diagnose her illness. They just had no. idea what was going on, but insisted. that she did have some kind of radium. poisoning, but nobody could prove it. >> That's good though that at least they. were like, "Nope, you definitely do.". >> Exactly. There were several more women. with teeth, bone, jaw issues. One. woman's vertebrae disintegrated.

from radium incorporation into her. bones, just turned to [ __ ] dust in. her back, and she collapsed. >> Her vertebrae? >> Her vertebrae turned to dust in her. body. Poof. >> [sighs]. >> Oh my. >> That's your whole ass spine being. compromised by poof, turning to dust. >> And you'll never ever be the same after. that.

>> Now, back in New Jersey, the deaths of. Molly Magia and growing number of. illnesses among the dial painters set. off a wave of speculation that the cause. might be related to the radium paint, finally. >> Yeah. >> A former painter, Quinta McDonald, said, "Many of the girls I knew and had worked. with in the plant began to die off. alarmingly fast.". And in response, US Radium hired a. Harvard-trained physiologist consultant. in 1924 to evaluate the situation. >> Who know what's happening?

>> Oh, yeah, don't worry. They had a plan. Uh when his report to management. contained um incredibly, profoundly. negative results and dire, dire. warnings, the company just issued a fake. positive report under the consultant's. name. Are you. [ __ ] kidding me? >> under that consultant's name. >> these [ __ ] were willing to go. to to make a quick buck. True pieces of. absolute garbage. >> And they submitted that to the New.

Jersey Department of Labor. Under that consultant's name, they just. lied and said that he said it was. positive. >> that's not at all what I said.". >> Yeah. Despite US Radium's vast efforts to. cover up the dangers posed by radium in. their plants, the consequences were. becoming undeniable. >> Oh, yes. >> not going to be able to cover this up. forever. >> No, everyone is literally dying after. they work at your factory or while. working at your factory. >> disintegrating. Like they're. Like literally they're just. disintegrating in front of everybody.

>> When you actually say that and think. about like you're not being hyperbolic, people are disintegrating. >> They're rotting, decaying. >> Oh my god. >> In 1925, a statistician with the. Prudential Insurance Company started. documenting the numerous illnesses. reported by employees with the company, including the many jaw and teeth. infections reported in two dead and 12. living painters. A short time later, the county medical. examiner, Dr. Harrison Martland, documented his quote, "Detection of.

gamma rays from living dial painters and. the exhalation of radon from their. lungs.". He took it upon himself actually, Dr. Martland, he took it upon himself to. help prove that these young women were. being poisoned by radium in the paint. that they were working with and that it. was the cause of their suffering and. eventual deaths. >> Wow. >> Dr. Martland was able to show that. radium outside of the body is enough to. burn, obviously like we've seen and. cause harm, but when ingested into the. body, it is so much worse because it.

will continue to create and give off. radiation essentially forever. >> Oh my god. >> It just keeps destroying the living. cells around it. It doesn't allow. anything to heal. And he said this substance they were. told was harmless was now basically. punching holes into their bones as they. walked around. >> Nope. >> And let me tell you, the corporations. tried to discredit him, but he was. relentless, even getting the coroner's. jury system abolished to create a more. knowledgeable and credible basis for. these women to plead their case in court.

eventually. >> What? >> Before the year was over, there was. another death. This time it was the. sister of one of the US Radium Dial. painters whose sole contact with radium. was sharing a bed with her. >> That's it? >> Her sister. >> Are you serious? >> Sharing a bed with her and she died. >> Nothing happened to the the sister who. was working there? >> She was also going through it. >> Oh. Oh my god. >> sharing a bed with her, she never had. direct contact with radium. >> to. >> to kill her. >> Oh. [sighs]. >> Due to the growing number of problems. with the staff and the decline in demand.

for the product, in 1926 US Radium. ceased production and closed the plants. in New Jersey and moved their entire. operation to New York. But by then, the. damage had been done and it was becoming. unavoidable. The previous year, former dial painter. Grace Fryer was one of who those who the. medical examiner had detected radiation. in and connected that to her mysterious. illnesses that were cropping up and she. wanted answers. She wasn't going to stay. quiet. >> Not just for herself, but she said, but.

for her friends who had become ill and. sometimes died. >> Yeah. >> Dr. Harrison Martland had confirmed that. their illnesses had something to do with. their jobs, but whether or not there was. any negligence involved was something he. couldn't prove by himself. >> Right. >> Grace on the other hand had begun to. suspect that her bosses at US Radium had. actually known a great deal more than. they had let on and were going to great. lengths to cover it up. >> Oh, yeah. >> In fact, when she was first informed. that she was sick, Grace recalled a day.

early in her job at the plant where Von. Sasaky had explicitly told her not to. put the brush in her mouth because it. would make her sick. Okay. So, for. however long, totally fine, everything's great, don't. worry about it, safest can be. >> And then don't do that. >> Stick it in there, it's fine, ba ba ba. And then right as she gets sick, he's. like, you shouldn't put that in your. mouth. It's like, huh? Why has it been fine up until this.

point, sir? And she said, if he knew. there was danger in ingesting the radium. dust and paint, why had he allowed it to. happen for so long? >> Right. >> So, a few months later, Grace asked Von. Sasaky that very question, but aside. from ashamedly muttering something about. how he'd warned other members of the. corporation of the risk, he offered no. explanation. >> Wow. >> literally was like, why did you let. everybody do that if you've known that? And he was like, uh. >> I tried to tell them. Money, I think,

but yeah. >> According to Kate Moore, Von Sasaky. would later claim that he raised his. concerns to the board of directors and. management, but quote, was opposed by. members of the corporation who had. charge of the personnel. >> Sure. >> matter what way you shake it out, [ __ ]. >> Either way, you were working at a shitty. company. >> For years, Grace Fryer had been. suffering from mysterious illnesses with. no cure and would. certainly, honestly, most certainly.

>> die. >> at a very young age because of them. >> And now, after receiving confirmation. that the illness was definitely a direct. result, not just of negligence, but of. outright deceit and abuse on the part of. her employer, she was [ __ ] pissed. So, over the course of the following. year, she started talking with her. friends and former co-workers and was. like, let's file a [ __ ] lawsuit. against this [ __ ] company. >> Good. >> Because again, it's not just negligence, it's deceit and abuse. Like they did. this intentionally. The problem was.

though that it was unclear whether New. Jersey labor laws would cover their. damage claims since they had begun so. many years earlier. >> Wow. >> Also, while there was some evidence to. suggest the company knew about the. risks, they would have to prove that in. court, which wasn't going to be super. easy. >> Regardless of the challenge that was. ahead of them, Grace and the others. pressed the [ __ ] on. And after 2 years, they finally found a lawyer that was. willing to take on the case. >> Nice. >> In May 1927, Grace Fryer filed a suit.

against US Radium, which she was joined. with four other former painters: Edna. Hussman, Katherine Schaub, Quinta. McDonald, and Albina Larice. In their petition, Fryer and the other. women asked for $125,000. in damages. >> Which is like nothing considering what. they were going through. >> But lawyers on behalf of US Radium. argued that the statute of limitations. had long expired on their current claim, which was true as the state's law was. written.

>> It's like, "Dudes, you know what you. did. You're a huge corporation with I'm. sure millions of [ __ ] dollars. Give. these girls some money so that they can. literally pay their medical bills.". >> Now, undeterred, the now referred to in the. press as they This is when they got the. turn the uh name radium girls. >> Okay. >> So, the radium girls petitioned the New. Jersey Supreme Court to expand the. statute of limitation for workplace. negligent claims, arguing, {quote} "The.

harmful effect of radioactive substances. on workers may set in from 1 to 18 years. after exposure to that substance.". >> Wow, it can take that long. >> So, that's why that statute of. limitations is [ __ ]. So, by the time the court date arrived. in January 1928, two of the women had. become bedridden. >> Oh. >> Grace was was to walk and required a. back brace in order to sit up. She was. one of the ones whose like vertebrae had. like. >> disintegrated. >> And {quote} none could raise their arms.

to even take the oath. >> None of them. >> sick they were. None of them could even. raise an arm like this. >> Oh my god. >> Mhm. Under the circumstances, the court date. was pushed back to April. At which time a number of medical. experts and scientists testified on. behalf of Fryer and the others. explaining the effects of radiation on. the body and how it had caused the. specific illnesses in the five women who. brought the suit. Despite all this and despite the. absolute urgency and the fact that two.

of them are now bedridden and none of. them can even raise their hand to take. the oath. Like their health is. frail [snorts] is not even the word. >> Lawyers for US Radium successfully. petitioned to have the case postponed. until September. You want to know why? >> Cuz they were hoping these girls would. die. >> ready? Nope. You want Are you all I want everyone to. hold on for this answer.

They wanted to postpone this case to. September because {quote} several US. Radium witnesses are vacationing in. Europe. >> That checks. >> So this these women are actively dying. Actively dying. And they want to move it further out so. that these [ __ ] pieces of [ __ ]. can finish vacationing in Europe. We. don't want We don't want to mess up.

their vacations. >> profited off all of the work that these. girls did and are now suffering from. Wow. Wow. Wow. >> Wow. >> I'm so mad right now. Oh my god. What? >> By then, the case of the radium girls. had received a lot of national coverage. and the judges decision to postpone this. case. was met with public outrage.

>> Yeah, I mean like. >> Yeah, people are. >> problem. I'll wait until you're done. with your yacht. >> No problem. >> Sounds good. >> Because people had the public had. started to see these women, the five. women, as symbolic of the ways in which. the working class were being exploited. by corporations. >> Yep. Not only that, but people are. buying these products. These clocks and. they're like I want to see justice here. >> Right. >> Given the interest in the story, Fryer. and the others used the opportunity to. plead their case to the public and. granted interviews in which they told.

their story. >> Good. >> Fryer told the reporter, I have had 19. operations, but my doctors tell me there. is no hope. >> Oh my god. >> In each interview, Grace gave details. about her illness and how the negligence. and recklessness of US Radium had. affected her life and was going to end. her life. >> Mhm. >> She said the worst part of the whole. thing is that I don't dare do much with. my hands for fear of being scratched. The least scratch will not heal because. of the radium. So she can't even do anything cuz she's. so worried about getting a tiny scratch.

>> Cuz then it's not going to ever heal and. she's done. >> By late May, three more former painters. had joined the suit. >> Good. Amazing. >> now pushing to have the trial moved up. arguing that the plaintiffs might. [ __ ] die before the case was called. in September. >> So sorry that you're busy on your. [ __ ] European vacation, but my. literal life depends on this. >> Just days later, Vice Chancellor John. Backus ruled that the statute of. limitations was not applicable in this. case and the suit should be allowed to. move forward quickly.

He said, "My own opinion is that the. statute of limitation did not run from. the time the girls took this poison into. their systems, but from the time of the. injury. And in my opinion, the statute. of limitation does not apply until the. period of injury ends. >> Great. >> Which like, hell yeah. Backus' opinion didn't end with his. opinions on the statute alone. He also. addressed the trial delay. Rather than continue waiting on the. case, which would be likely held to. previous standards, Backus suggested,

"You know what, girlies? Why don't you. drop this existing case, file a new one? File that new one that's going to be. held to the new shit.". >> Nice. >> another one, drop this, and get out of. there. Among other things, a new case. would have been aided significantly by. the information that had come to light. during the review of the statute of. limitations, including the fact that. managers at the US Radium Corporation. had, quote, "In setting up the plea of. the statute of limitations, essentially. confessed that they had been guilty of. the wrongs of which the defendants.

claimed.". >> Yeah. Well, we're guilty, it's just the time's. run out. >> And now you can use this. Cuz guess. what, baby? That statute of limitations. doesn't exist anymore, but your. statements do. >> Yep, still there. Still there. Still. there. >> While the courts and lawyers for both. sides fought in court, the victims. continued their campaign to keep the. story in the press. They wanted people. to keep hearing about this. A few days after the limitations ruling. was made, Katherine Schaub made a. surprising offer to the doctors and. scientists studying the effects of. radium poisoning.

Now, Grace Fryer, I'll tell you the. author don't offer, don't worry. But. Grace Fryer had previously offered She'd. offered her body for study after her. death. >> Wow. >> "When I die, you can take it to study. for radium poisoning." But as one doctor. put it, that we examine her body after. death would not do so much for medical. science as a living specimen. >> Okay. >> They're like, "That's great. Like, wonderful. Like, absolutely. But like, it's not going to do what we need it to. do, essentially.". And given that, Katherine Schaub offered.

herself as a living specimen. >> What? >> Telling reporters, "I am willing with my. fullest confidence in the doctors to. undergo experiments that may save the. other girls.". >> Wow. >> Catherine Wiley. the [ __ ] Schwab. >> got a whole chills. I'm I have goosebumps all the way up my. arms right. >> My my legs have goosebumps even. >> Schwab. >> Wow, what an incredible human. >> Yeah. >> Not even knowing what like what these. experiments could do to her, but if they.

were going to save one of her friends or. somebody who had gone through what she. had. >> Exactly. >> That's amazing. >> Now between Backus's ruling in the. statute case and the ongoing and very. much intensifying public support of the. victims, officials from US Radium saw. that uh the wind was not blowing in. their favor here. >> Yeah. >> And the odds were definitely not in. their favor. >> The wind was not blowing through the. sails of their European sailboats no. longer. >> Exactly. With just days to go before the. start of the new trial, lawyers for US. Radium reached out to Grace and the.

other women with a settlement offer. >> Yeah, how much? >> for dropping the lawsuit, they offered a. $10,000 lump sum payment and $600 a year. for the rest of their lives. >> To that I would say suck my dick. >> Now the like we just you know, as Ash. just said so eloquently. >> [laughter]. >> The settlement was hardly what had been. asked for in the lawsuit, but given that none of them were likely. to live much longer, which is very.

upsetting, all five agreed it would be. better to get some resolution than to. die with no one being held accountable. >> spend the like the rest of their lives. fighting this. That's completely. understandable. >> By settling out of court, US Radium had. no obligation to take responsibility for. or even acknowledge their role. >> Wow. >> Uh in response to the settlement, US. Radium's president, Clarence Lee, gave a. statement to the press in which he said, "We unfortunately gave work to a great.

many people who were physically unfit to. procure employment in other lines of. industry. Cripples and persons similarly. incapacitated were engaged. What was. then considered an act of kindness on. our part has been turned against us. Are. you [ __ ] joshing me, bro? >> Clarence, be so for real, Clarence. Be. so. [ __ ] for real. >> You got I just hit my microphone with. anger. You got to tell me that karma got.

one of these [ __ ]. >> Clarence, that statement sent me into. [ __ ] oblivion. >> We were nice enough to give you a job. and you're annoyed because your jaw's. falling off. >> Cuz you're physically unfit to do it. And it's like joking. I. >> Oh, boy, karma's going to get you. >> Now, by the mid-1930s, all five of the radium girls had died. without hearing a single word of apology. from the company who'd taken literally.

everything from them. >> Their lives. >> Not one [ __ ] breath of an apology. >> Why? [ __ ] utter. >> Yeah. >> Are you joking? >> Not one breath of apology. That makes me. so [ __ ] angry. >> to know when they got shut down. I need. to know. >> Well, the settlement in the US radium. case turned out to be just the. beginning. >> Oh, wow. >> suits followed around the country. >> Good.

>> In Ottawa, Illinois, Catherine Donohue. and several other former painters filed. suit against the Radium Dial Company. based in allegations very similar to the. one in the New Jersey case. And by then, the girls who were once known as local. celebrities for their work with radium. paint had become known in the press as. {quote} the society of the living dead. >> Oh my god. >> And that was given to them that moniker. for their like deformities and. illnesses. That's a quote. Wow. >> Like Grace Fryer and the painters from.

US Radium, Donahue and the others in. Illinois spent years looking for a. lawyer to even take on the case before. they finally found someone to represent. them. Ultimately, the women won. But it was at what Kate Moore, who we. again we will uh cite in the in the show. notes, called quote great personal cost. At the time, Ottawa was a you know, kind. of like a it's a company town is what. it's called, a town built around a. single company. >> Mhm. >> And few people were reluctant to take on.

or even question Radium Dial because a. lot of people still relate relied on. them for their paycheck for their. livings. And uh Moore said the town didn't really. want to acknowledge what had happened. and there's evidence I've seen in their. letters that the Radium Girls, that like. the whistleblowers essentially, that. their neighbors, the clergy, and. business people kind of shunned them. >> Wow. >> The clergy. Their [ __ ] church shunned them. Because they spoke up about like.

dying from radium paint. >> That is so ass-backwards. >> the [ __ ]. >> Isn't there a whole bit in the Bible. about community and like love thy. neighbor? >> me. Like that they could turn on them. >> thy corporation, [ __ ] It's love thy. neighbor, I think. >> Exactly. I think. And even though they won their cases, their awards were relatively small in. the end with the company paying out. $10,000 in total to the victims. >> Which is probably a nickel as far as. they're concerned.

>> For the victims of the radium extraction. plants around the country, the legal and. financial victories were definitely. small and most died truly agonizing. deaths in the few years that followed. But still, the truth about radium and. the abuses of companies like US Radium. and Radium Dial had gotten out. They had. They had gotten people to hear these. things. And without them, nobody would. have known. In In Illinois, Congress. passed the Occupational Disease Act as a. direct result of Donahue and the others.

taking their story to the public. And. New Jersey um occupational safety. standards were changed as a result of. the radium girls. It was all because of. them. Including a provision requiring. all radium dial painters to be provided. with complete protective gear. And in 1949, Congress passed a bill. making occupational disease, like those. experienced by the dial painters, something able to be compensated for and. considerably extended the federal. statute of limitations employees had to.

file a claim. >> Good. >> All because of them. >> Wow. >> Despite all that the country had come to. learn about radium in the 1920s and 30s, radium paint was still used in. manufacturing as late as 1960s. >> Shut the [ __ ] up. >> Albeit with far more safety precautions. in place, but still. >> According to the New Jersey Department. of Environmental Protection, the number. of people harmed or killed by radium. paint is unknown, but quote, "It is. estimated that over several decades. approximately 4,000 women around the.

country worked as dial painters.". Now, to this day, places like Orange, New Jersey and Ottawa, Illinois struggle. with the legacy of radium extraction. plants like US Radium and Radium Dial. Decades later, large sections of land on. which the factories were sitting. >> Oh, I didn't even think about. >> been deemed Superfund sites, which is a. place where hazardous materials were. carelessly produced or stored or dumped. >> I didn't even think about Wow. >> either. And in many cases, the toxins.

that were produced on Superfund sites. seep into the ground water and. contaminate other natural resources, which put residents at risk for cancer, other maladies. >> Who knows? >> Somebody get Erin Brockovich up in here. >> Yeah, >> all I could. >> think of. >> that movie. >> too. For decades following their deaths, the story of the radium girls has found. its way back to the public eye many. times over through like books, plays, other cultural productions, but.

unfortunately, the companies responsible. for those deaths were never truly held. accountable. >> [ __ ]. >> And the contributions of the women. themselves has. vastly gone overlooked. >> Yeah. >> in the long way. Like, if you really. look at it. But finally, in the summer. of 2021, >> You're joking. >> Yeah, senators in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois put forth a. bill to formally recognize the lives and. sacrifices made by these women. >> Good. >> New Jersey Senator Bob Bob Menendez told.

the press, "A century after the first. radium girls started working in. factories in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois, we stand today to. recognize their plight and the. contributions of these courageous women. to modern workplace standards safety. standards.". And Senator Richard Blumenthal of. Connecticut echoed that sentiment. He. said, "This resolution honors the radium. girls determined, relentless fight for. justice throughout the 20th century. After being deceived and misled about. the risks of their to their health and. safety, hundreds of workers suffered.

mysterious health complications and even. died. The radium girls' effort to hold. corporations accountable for their. callous, uncaring treatment of their. employees paved the way for future. workplace safety standards, saving the. lives of countless others. We honor. their memory by continuing to fight for. the safety and rights of workers. everywhere.". >> That's incredible. >> And that is the story of the radium. girls. >> It's just so crazy that this is like. I I had heard of this before, but only. from you, I'm pretty sure. Like, that's.

something we should learn about in. school. >> Absolute Like, I didn't learn about them. in school. >> No, and I feel like we should. >> Yeah. >> I would have made chemistry a whole lot. more interesting, let me tell you. >> Yeah, >> like. the the sacrifice that they made. >> It's. it's an unbelievable. story. Like. >> It is. >> Cuz you just can't believe it was like. the book that I referenced many times by. Kate Moore is called The Radium Girls. >> Mhm.

>> It's a phenomenal book. I highly suggest. it. >> Go get it. >> [laughter]. >> Like it's really really. >> I think we have it. >> fascinating. Yeah, we I think we have it. up here actually somewhere. Um it's a. phenomenal book. It's so sad, fascinating. >> There's a movie too, right? >> Yeah, there is a a Radium Girls movie. >> to watch it now. >> Yeah, I I'm telling you the story is. just the further you get into it the. more it. will anger you, it will make you sad. It'll make you like inspired by these. women. Like it's it's got everything.

It's all the pieces. >> Seriously. >> And the fact that these girls were like. [ __ ] no. >> You're not going to get away with this. >> Catherine Schaub is like no. Like. Donahue, like they're all just like. nope, you're not getting away with this. and even if we die. because of it, we're going to make sure. that you can't do this to somebody else. Like badasses. >> Wow, what a horrifying tale. >> Truly hard I that's why I said I know. this is like a different it's a. >> Oh, it's still true crime. >> Yeah, and it's a [ __ ] crime if I ever.

heard one. It's a crime for sure. It's. just a different kind. >> I I like when we do like obviously I. like all the stuff that we do, but I. love the dark history ones. I just. they're fascinating. >> favorite. >> so much to read about. >> Yeah, and there's so much that has. happened in this world that you don't. like that we don't know about or you. don't learn in school that. my god, I would have done better in. school. >> Yeah. >> have been like oh, okay, I'll apply. myself to this. >> Like this is fascinating and horrifying. all at once. >> Mhm. >> But yeah, and I think um I want to say.

the last radium girl when I was reading. about it, she died at which I was. shocked by. Um I like one of the ones. who was like in the factories was like. 104. >> Woah. >> Yeah, she lived to make very long, which. was like good for her. >> effects? >> Uh I'm not sure about her. It was back. in like I want to say like 2014 or. something. >> that like some people had effects and. some didn't. And then. knowing that you worked in a in a plant. like that and then watching women that. you worked with and then you're just.

sitting there I'm sure wondering when is. this going to happen to me. >> Yeah. >> Like when is my tooth going to fall out. and then it the rest is just done. >> Yeah. Like I I just saw um I would I on. Tik Tok I saw a bunny there. >> we love bunnies. >> Um a girl. >> Which also she shouted us out on her Tik. Tok and I shocked myself essentially. >> She was talking about how she they found. like a small aneurysm yeah in her. carotid artery. >> But she got a second opinion and they. don't think it is. >> But she described it and perfectly how I. think these girls must have felt. She.

She described it as walking around with. a grenade in her head. >> Yeah. >> And that's exactly I like that hit for. me when I was cuz I was reading this at. the same time and I was like these girls. must have walked around seeing what's. happening like you said to all their. co-workers and friends. and feeling like they're walking around. with a grenade inside of them. That's. just going to. >> When is it going to explode? >> Yep. >> When is it going to happen? >> No, that's oh my god. >> Any kind of minor tooth pain you're. probably like, "Oh my god, like this is. happening." Like anything. >> like when you when you hear about.

something and you're like, "Do I feel. that?" Yes. >> Like like phantom pain. >> about like an aneurysm or you'll hear. about like a brain tumor and all of the. sudden you got a head small headache or. something and you're like, "Oh my god, is this. >> Yeah. Wow. >> a wild wild story. >> Elena. Jesus. >> Thank you. >> Wow. >> Yeah. Well, we hope you keep listening. And we hope you. >> keep. >> it. >> weird. But not so weird that you employ. a bunch of girls and tell them, "Yeah, it's totally fine to eat [music] [ __ ]. radium and nothing will happen to you.". And then you know full well that that.

actually is going to do something to. them and you say, "Oh, I'm so sorry. >> [music]. >> Um I will totally appear in the court. case, but I just have to go on my yacht. first." Suck a dick. Truly. Bye. [music]. >> Said eloquently by Ash. >> [laughter]. [music]. [music].

[music].