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

by Kate Moore

The previous February, 1932, Katherine, Grace, Edna, and Albina had all received a no-nonsense letter from Dr. Ewing: “We wish to inform you that no bills will be approved by the Commission for any services which have not been specifically approved by Dr. Craver. The Commission feels that they must scrutinize expenses more carefully.”2 The board now refused to cover medicines “we do not feel are useful,”3 routine doctors’ visits, and home nurses; the latter was a service the women increasingly relied on to help clean and dress themselves. The board was acting, it said, “to prevent this ‘exploitation’ of the radium corporation.”