―― Medical Misconduct ――
Corrupt Doctors
Dial-painters working in a factory (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
After falling deathly ill from handling radium and not receiving medical funding from their employers, dozens of dial-painters sought compensation judicially but were denied their right to due process by corrupt physicians who altered medical testimonies to align with industry agenda.
Joseph Knef, dentist of Radium Girl Amelia Maggia, attended a recorded conference by The Master Recording Company Inc. in 1926 with officials of the USRC to convince the company to pay him $10,000 for his efforts towards its employees. In exchange, Knef offered to manipulate his testimony. (Walsh, Ruth K)
(Transcript of USRC and Knef Conference 1926 by Ruth K. Walsh)
I
"There are quite a few cases that will just die a natural death...I have got to be compensated"
"I am pretty sure that I can bring her back"
- Joseph Knef
II
"As I said before, you must get your compensation somewhere. As I say, I am going to get this one way of the other. If you people want to play ball with me I will play too. I am working for your interests."
"Well, now, my belief and judgement on the stand [can be] whatever I want to believe"
- Joseph Knef
III
"From a purely business point of view I am very valuable man to be with you"
--------------------------------
"You can make it go one way or the other?"
- USRC official
"Yes"
"Speaking about this picture you can say that this is a case of necrosis or on the other hand you can say that this is a picture of pyorrhea"
- USRC official
"I could, if I were working for you people"
- Joseph Knef
VI
"I can testify that"
- Joseph Knef
Lawyer Dean Edmonds, attendee of the conference with Dr. Knef, recounted the doctor saying:
“An expert
always testifies on the
side that is paying him" (Edmonds, Dean S)
- Joseph Knef
“He repeated that he
could influence girls not to bring suit, as for instance by telling them that they had no cases or that any suits against them that they had no cases or that any suits brought by them would be unsuccessful” (Edmonds, Dean S)
- Joseph Knef
Scientist Dr. Charles Edmund Ford attended a conference on industrial hygiene in November 1919, stating:
"The great problem I am having is in securing medical men with a social conscience" (Rockefeller Foundation)
- Dr. Charles Edmund
Dr. Charles Edmund Ford
(IMS Vintage Photos)
Toxicologist Frederick Flinn
(We Remember)
In a private letter to Cecil Drinker, Flinn wrote:
"Tho I am not saying out loud, I cannot but feel that the... radium mixture in the paint is to blame in an indirect way for the girls [sick] conditions" (Berry, Raymond)
- Frederick Flinn, January 1926
Despite this, Flinn’s published views were radically different:
(Flinn, Frederick (December 1926))
Dr. David Edsall, Dean of Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health, disincentivized medical students from reporting to government administration.
“Employers are afraid of what the State Board may do and it might injure the hospital to be identified as being in close cooperation with them” (Claudia, Clark)
- Dr. David Edsall
Dr. David Edsall
(Harvard Art Museums)
Theodor Blum
(Wikipedia)
Dentist Theodor Blum, specialist in dental radiology, spoke on the condition of Radium Girl Hazel Vincent Kuser:
“No doubt in my mind as to the responsibility of the company”
- Theodor Blum (Claudia, Clark)
Yet,
“Blum apparently wrote to U.S. Radium promising to treat Kuser secretly, to not reveal to her the nature of her malady, and this to protect the company from liability suits in exchange for its payment for Kuser’s treatment” (Claudia, Clark)
After being hired by Arthur Roeder, president of the USRC, to inspect the safety of the Orange NJ plant and the health of the workers, Drinker confirms:
Dangerous radium levels
“Blood examinations coupled with the use of photographic films have, however, demonstrated an over exposure to radium.” (Drinker et al. 371)
- Dr. Cecil and Katherine Drinker, Dr. William Castle
Harms from over-exposure to radium
“Under such circumstances radium is deposited in bone and our own injection experiments verify this.”
“Clinical literature presents cases of jaw necrosis... in patients who have received heavy treatment with radium... It seems neccesary, therefore, to consider that the cases described have been due to radium.”
(Roeder to Drinker Letter June 18, 1924)
Despite Drinker’s opposing research, Roeder claims to Drinker:
“You can doubtless say that the conditions of hygiene maintained at the Plants are above average” (Roeder, Arthur. Letter to Cecil Drinker)
Roeder then partnered with Gilman Thompson, an American physician, who claimed that the Radium Girls’ injuries were a result of bad hygiene
“[Roeder] has secured the services of Gilman Thompson who says the condition in the girls’ mouths is simply due to neglect of ordinary mouth hygiene” (Letter to Cecil Drinker. 4 Apr. 1925.)
- Letter Sent from Alice Hamilton to Drinker