Customer Reviews

Deadly Glow: The Radium Dial Worker Tragedy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a compelling and carefully documented story of the tragedy of the first widely known victims of the atomic age, the radium dial workers. The author superbly blends scientific fact with vivid characterizations of the emotions and suffering of these workers. Numerous pictures from the early part of the last century of people, places, and artifacts unique to the story help transport the reader to that period in time. The chapter, "The Ottawa Society of the Living Dead," focuses on the fate of hundreds of young women in their teens and early twenties who worked at the largest dial-painting establishment. Besides tipping the brushes to add precision to painting the numbers on dials, these women were encouraged to paint common household items and decorate the buttons and belts of their dresses with paint. The deadly consequences of these practices were protracted by years of a myriad of legal battles with the only solace that these battles finally brought public attention to the plight of these women. I heartily concur with the remarks in the Foreword by the former Section Head for Human Radiobiology at Argonne National Laboratory, "Who should read this book?....everybody."

An outstanding and well-researched work about true history in our fine country. Dr. Mullner was a guest lecturer when I was a student in Chicago in 1990. I went to hear his talk because my grandfather was the physician in Chicago who identified the link between radium and oral cancer among the Elgin workers who painted the watch faces with radium paint. He filled in the entire history for me, and I am more than grateful with his rendition of "the rest of the story..."

Excellent and informative book regarding the lax view which

was taken in the early 1900's regarding radioactivity and worker health and safety issues as well as denial by companies that they had any responsibility for these workers illnesses and deaths in spite of overwhelming proof to the contrary.

I hope I am savy enough to put this review in two places for this book and Radium Girls.Radium Girls: Women and Industrial Health Reform, 1910-1935 Both books are good and cover the tragedy of may young women who painted dials with radium paint on glow in the dark watches and dials and guages before there was a good appreciation of the hazards. Unfortuntately the companies involved in the producing glow in the dark watch and other faces refused to accept the hazards much like the tobacco industry refused to accept the hazards of smoking. Only in this case the effects were much more certain and lethal. The book Radium Girl... is actually adapted from a college thesis and is rigorously referenced. It is also somewhat dry as one might expect but it is worth while reading especially if one is interested in industrial health and safety at that period in time. This book, Deadly Glow... is a much easier read and enjoyable to boot. I'd have to rate it above the former for the average reader. I am a Health Physicist, a Radiation Safety Specialist that is and of course that is why I read both books.

There was information in this book which was not mentioned in Radium Girls, one specific is that apparently the practice of painting watch dials started with expensive watches in Switzerland befor it occured in this country.

As a teacher of allied health students, I found this book to be useful in my understanding of radiation hygiene and an aspect of the history of radiation in America. Very informative; would recommend to those with an interest in public health history and educator's of public health and allied health studies.