Ask the Scholar
Page 2 of 3
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
-
dustrial poisoning cases among watch-
dial painters. It tells of the settlement
a
of a case brought against the United
States Radium Corporation by five
women employes and of a former offi-
cial of that corporation, now victims of
radium poisoning.
The full text of its statement follows:
The effect of the use of radioactive
substances on the health of workers
employed in painting the dials of
watches and clocks with luminous paint
has been the subject of investigation by
physicians and scientists, and the cases
of poisoning among these workers have
also received a considerable amount of
publicity since the first death from this
to
cause was reported in 1924.
Settlement of Suits.
p
The subject has recently been brought
n
to the fore again through the suit
brought against the United States Ra-
dium Corporation, Orange, N. J., by
five young women who are in a more
or less serious condition as a result of
their work with the radioactive paint.
Fourteen girls who had been employed
at various times since 1917 in the plant
in Orange, N. J., have died as a result
of the absorption of radium through
the practice of pointing the brushes in
their mouths. There have been three
deaths reported among woman watch-
dial painters in a plant in Waterbury,
Conn., and about 300 women painters of
radium-dial watches employed by this
firm are said to be under observation by
radium experts for evidences of radium
poisoning at the present time.
The daily papers have recently car-
ried accounts of these cases, and the
an
settlement of the case against the United
pa
States Radium Corporation was an-
Si
nounced on June 5. The case was settled
F
out of court, the agreement providing
that each of the victims of radium
poisoning is to receive an immediate cash
no
payment of $10,000, costs of medical
pa
and hospital care for the remainder of
el
their lives, $2,000 for past medical ex-
W
penses, and an annuity of $600, while
p:
the counsel fees and court expenses are
fa
to be paid by the corporation.
es
Legal Responsibility.
re
n
The settlement was reached through
fo
the efforts of Federal Judge William
tl
Clark, who had volunteered to act as ref-
tl
eree after the case had been fought on
p
many technicalities in the New Jersey
tl
courts of equity. In announcing the
fi
terms of the settlement Judge Clark said
ti
that, apart from the sympathy aroused
ti
by the reported condition of the women,
il
his experience has impressed him with
the social necessity of further widening
a
the legal responsibilities of the active
V
economic agencies in our lives and that
e
the sound limit of liability for injury
S
without fault has not in his opinion been
reached.
a
It is also reported that Dr. S. A. So-
o
shocky, who was formerly an official of
the United States Radium Corporation
tl
and who originated the formula for the
luminous paint used in the New Jersey
plant, is a victim of radium poisoning.
The radium necrosis has attacked his
jaws and fingers, and he also has the
type of anemia associated with poison-
ing by radium, a recent blood count hav-
ing shown that there were only about
4,000 white corpuscles to the cubic milli-
meter, whereas the blood normally has
about 10,000.
Radium has a destructive effect on the
blood and blood-forming centers, the ra-
dium which is absorbed into the system
being deposited in the bones, spleen, and
liver. The effect of the radium in small
doses is, at first, to stimulate red and
white cell production, but later, destruc-
tion of the white blood cells and dimi-
nution of the red cells takes place so
that a severe "anemia is produce 1 which
simulates the pernicious aner 1 of re-
generative and aplastic types
Page data
- Page
- 2
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- bee69966b8b4f603
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 75723017
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "75723017",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Clipping, July 19, 1928",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017",
"collections": [
"Safety Light Collection",
"Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "75723017",
"label": "Clipping, July 19, 1928",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "75723017",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Clipping, July 19, 1928",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017",
"collections": [
"Safety Light Collection",
"Records Related to Radium Dial Painters"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_1.jpg",
"imageCount": 3,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75723017",
"naId": 75723017,
"levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 2,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/SLC/Radium/SLC_0001406_Page_2.jpg",
"mediaId": "bee69966b8b4f603",
"ocrText": "-\ndustrial poisoning cases among watch-\ndial painters. It tells of the settlement\na\nof a case brought against the United\nStates Radium Corporation by five\nwomen employes and of a former offi-\ncial of that corporation, now victims of\nradium poisoning.\nThe full text of its statement follows:\nThe effect of the use of radioactive\nsubstances on the health of workers\nemployed in painting the dials of\nwatches and clocks with luminous paint\nhas been the subject of investigation by\nphysicians and scientists, and the cases\nof poisoning among these workers have\nalso received a considerable amount of\npublicity since the first death from this\nto\ncause was reported in 1924.\nSettlement of Suits.\np\nThe subject has recently been brought\nn\nto the fore again through the suit\nbrought against the United States Ra-\ndium Corporation, Orange, N. J., by\nfive young women who are in a more\nor less serious condition as a result of\ntheir work with the radioactive paint.\nFourteen girls who had been employed\nat various times since 1917 in the plant\nin Orange, N. J., have died as a result\nof the absorption of radium through\nthe practice of pointing the brushes in\ntheir mouths. There have been three\ndeaths reported among woman watch-\ndial painters in a plant in Waterbury,\nConn., and about 300 women painters of\nradium-dial watches employed by this\nfirm are said to be under observation by\nradium experts for evidences of radium\npoisoning at the present time.\nThe daily papers have recently car-\nried accounts of these cases, and the\nan\nsettlement of the case against the United\npa\nStates Radium Corporation was an-\nSi\nnounced on June 5. The case was settled\nF\nout of court, the agreement providing\nthat each of the victims of radium\npoisoning is to receive an immediate cash\nno\npayment of $10,000, costs of medical\npa\nand hospital care for the remainder of\nel\ntheir lives, $2,000 for past medical ex-\nW\npenses, and an annuity of $600, while\np:\nthe counsel fees and court expenses are\nfa\nto be paid by the corporation.\nes\nLegal Responsibility.\nre\nn\nThe settlement was reached through\nfo\nthe efforts of Federal Judge William\ntl\nClark, who had volunteered to act as ref-\ntl\neree after the case had been fought on\np\nmany technicalities in the New Jersey\ntl\ncourts of equity. In announcing the\nfi\nterms of the settlement Judge Clark said\nti\nthat, apart from the sympathy aroused\nti\nby the reported condition of the women,\nil\nhis experience has impressed him with\nthe social necessity of further widening\na\nthe legal responsibilities of the active\nV\neconomic agencies in our lives and that\ne\nthe sound limit of liability for injury\nS\nwithout fault has not in his opinion been\nreached.\na\nIt is also reported that Dr. S. A. So-\no\nshocky, who was formerly an official of\nthe United States Radium Corporation\ntl\nand who originated the formula for the\nluminous paint used in the New Jersey\nplant, is a victim of radium poisoning.\nThe radium necrosis has attacked his\njaws and fingers, and he also has the\ntype of anemia associated with poison-\ning by radium, a recent blood count hav-\ning shown that there were only about\n4,000 white corpuscles to the cubic milli-\nmeter, whereas the blood normally has\nabout 10,000.\nRadium has a destructive effect on the\nblood and blood-forming centers, the ra-\ndium which is absorbed into the system\nbeing deposited in the bones, spleen, and\nliver. The effect of the radium in small\ndoses is, at first, to stimulate red and\nwhite cell production, but later, destruc-\ntion of the white blood cells and dimi-\nnution of the red cells takes place so\nthat a severe \"anemia is produce 1 which\nsimulates the pernicious aner 1 of re-\ngenerative and aplastic types"
}