The Glowing Bones: The Horrifying True Story of the Radium Girls
It was 1917. The United States had entered World War I, and men were heading off to fight. Meanwhile, young women in New Jersey and Illinois landed what seemed like the perfect job: painting watch dials.
The watches used a special paint called "Undark" that glowed in the dark. The magic ingredient was Radium, a newly discovered element. The pay was great, and the work was artistic. But there was one deadly instruction the girls were given: "Lip, Dip, Paint."
The Deadly Technique
To make the numbers on the tiny watches sharp, the supervisors told the girls to point their brushes between their lips. They would dip the brush in the radium paint, put it in their mouth to sharpen the tip, and then paint.
The girls asked if the radium was dangerous. The managers assured them it was completely safe. In fact, at the time, radium was sold as a miracle cure. People drank radium water and used radium toothpaste.
The girls trusted their bosses. They even painted their nails and teeth with the glowing substance to surprise their boyfriends at night. They were literally glowing. They had no idea they were ingesting a silent killer.
The Horror Begins
A few years later, the "Radium Girls" began to suffer from mysterious and horrifying symptoms.
- Tooth Loss: Their teeth started falling out without pain.
- The Radium Jaw: Their jaws developed large ulcers. In some cases, the jawbone simply disintegrated. One dentist pulled a tooth from a girl's mouth and a piece of her jaw came out with it.
- Brittle Bones: Their legs and hips fractured spontaneously. They were becoming anemic and weak.
The Company's Lie
The United States Radium Corporation (USRC) knew the danger. Their own scientists wore lead aprons and used tongs to handle the radium. Yet, they let the girls lick the brushes.
When the girls started dying, the company hired doctors to lie. They claimed the girls were dying of syphilis to ruin their reputations and hide the truth. They dragged out court cases, hoping the women would die before they could testify.
The Fight for Justice
Despite being bedridden and in agony, five women—led by Grace Fryer—sued the company. It was a race against time. Their courage captured the nation's attention.
They eventually won a settlement, but for most, it was too late. The radiation had settled in their bones forever. However, their sacrifice changed labor laws in America. Because of the Radium Girls, companies can no longer hide safety hazards from workers.
Today, if you visit their graves with a Geiger counter, the needle will still jump. More than 100 years later, the Radium Girls are still glowing in the dark.