The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women

In Orange, Grace Fryer is experiencing body and toothaches and has two teeth pulled. She does not know that in Newark, Irene is experiencing similar symptoms and is rapidly deteriorating. Helen Quinlan dies on June 3, 1923, aged 22. Her cause of death is recorded as a bacterial disease, though this was not confirmed by laboratory tests. Irene follows her six weeks later, with suspected cause of death as phosphorus poisoning.

Katherine Schaub knows that Irene had conferred with Dr. Allen about the potential that her job had caused the sickness, but she does not know about Szamatolski’s report to the Department of Labor. In fact, the Department of Labor has done nothing to follow up. She goes to the Department of Health to file a report, detailing the deaths of the three girls and identifying lip-pointing as the cause. The memo filed about her visit simply says that a foreman at the plant dismissed her claims as untrue.

During the summer of 1923, Orange health officer Lenore Young investigates Schaub’s claims, but not thoroughly. Meanwhile, Hazel is still being treated for pyorrhea and is in great pain. Katherine Schaub develops a toothache, and a few other women die. Grace Fryer’s mouth is improving, but her legs are stiff and she walks with a limp.