The article discusses the phenomenon of thunderstorms spoiling milk, debunking the belief that it's merely an old wives' tale. Historical practices from the 17th and 18th centuries had people storing milk in methods that could not withstand the conditions present during thunderstorms. These conditions fostered bacteria leading to milk spoilage. Notably, in 1858, John Dean Caton highlighted this issue in a letter to Scientific American, linking thunderstorms to curdled milk, a fact later confirmed by researchers, illustrating a blend of folk knowledge and scientific validation.
In the summer of 1858, John Dean Caton, an Illinois Supreme Court Justice, wrote a letter to the Scientific American, titled, "Lightning and Milk." In this letter, he stated, "It may not be generally understood by scientific men, but it is well known to dairy men and housewives that a violent thunderstorm turns sweet into sour milk." Caton’s correspondence highlighted the correlation between thunderstorms and milk spoilage, providing anecdotal evidence recognized by the dairy community long before modern science confirmed the bacteria's role.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, before refrigeration was an option and pasteurization was invented, milk was stored on a big, slate slab which would keep milk cool and allow it to last longer. However, these rudimentary cooling and preservation techniques could not hold their own against the warm and wet conditions of thunderstorms, which are a breeding ground for the kind of bacteria that curdles and spoils milk.
While many think that thunderstorms curdling milk is an old wives' tale similar to other folklore regarding food, there is factual basis to this theory supported by historical practices and scientific research indicating the influence of bacteria exacerbated by the conditions associated with thunderstorms.
Fast-forward to the 19th century, and the reason behind the quick curdling was confirmed by a couple of researchers, marking a transition from anecdotal observations to scientific explanations regarding food spoilage.
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