The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting radium dials – watch dials and hands with self-luminous paint. The incidents occurred at three factories in the United States: one in Orange, New Jersey, beginning around 1917; one in Ottawa, Illinois, beginning in the early 1920s; and one in Waterbury, Connecticut, also in the 1920s.

[–] deathmetal27@lemmy.world 38 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They were instructed to wet the tip of the brushes on their tongue to make it pointy. Causing them to regularly ingest small quantities of Radium.

[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Sounds like good old American manufacturing. Could have easily left a little cup with water nearby, but the workers got a tongue so that would just drive up costs!

[–] newaccountwhodis@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Capitalists need to be shot in the streets like rabid dogs

[–] Ptsf@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Eh, some of them maybe but try and remember that it's a tool for economic function, yes there are alternatives, but surely Stalinist communism taught us that any economic system like any tool can be abused. It's most likely we'll need a better culture if we're to fix the issues with the world that capitalism is often used to exasperate.