Once the side effects started to show, the women struggled to find an explanation with their doctors and dentists as they searched for a common cause for their ailments. After doing this for a while, girls started to get sores in their mouths or have their teeth rot out or develop tumors as their jaws started falling apart.вЂќ вЂњPeople told them that it was perfectly safe and women even used to put radium on their teeth and nails before they went out on dates so that they glowed. вЂњA popular technique was to take the brush and put it between their lips to bring it to a fine point, dip it into the radium paint, paint a number and then repeat,вЂќ said Philippon. The side effects of radium first began to be seen by the so called вЂњradium girlsвЂќ working on watch and clock dials in factories. Radium is so close to calcium on the periodic table that the body canвЂ™t tell it apart, but unlike calcium it destroys bone and wears down bone density.вЂќ However, the truth was quite the opposite. It was added to face creams and to food and people went to radium spas.

вЂњPeople thought that it had all sorts of elements like it would make them live longer or improve their skin. вЂњRadium was touted at the time as a miracle element,вЂќ said Philippon. It was used in the trenches because the paint glowed in the dark and eliminated the need to light a flare and give away oneвЂ™s position. Patti Philippon, executive director of the Clock & Watch Museum, said radium was used to paint hands and numbers on watches and alarm clocks from the World War I era through the 1930s. It will feature photos of the female workers along with their testimonials about the ill effects they suffered. in the Barnes Wing of the museum at 100 Maple St. The program, which will be presented by Colleen Nicastro, will be held at 6:30 p.m.

Radium girls pictures