The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-21
ELECTRICITY AND MILK.
What It Is That Causes the Latter
to Become Sour.
From the Lancet.

From the Lancet
| During serious electrical disturbances
| in the atmosphere it Is well known that
beer may become hard" milk may go
sour, and meat may frequently turn"
| Considerable speculation has arisen
as to the cause of this change. 1t has
been suggested that an Ozonized state
of the air due to electric discharge has
something to do with it. or that the
formation of nitrous acid in the air
is responsible for the change. 1t is,
however, not probable that the atmos-
phere undergoes any chemical change
sufficient to account for the extent to
which certain foods turn" Moreover,
any important quantity of ozone or
nitrous acid would be calculated to ex-
ert preservative effect, as both are
powerful antiseptcs.
1t may be urged, again, that the phe-
nomenon is due to oxidation by means
of ozone, but this can hardly be the
case, in view of the large quantities of
beer and milk that are soured in rela-
tion to the very small quantity of ozone
which a thunderstorm produces. In
the case of meat, at any rate, the turn
ing" can scarcely be attributed to the
action of ozone or oxygen. The change
is probably due, not directly to chemi-
cal agencies, but purely to disturb
ance Of the electric equilibrium.
1t Is we'll known that an opposite
electrical state is set up by induction,
SO that an electrical condition of the
atmosphere induces similar condition,
though opposite in character, in the
objects on the earth. Persons near
whom Il flash of lightning passes fire.
quently experience IA severe shock by
induction, though no lightning touches
them; and in the celebrated expert
ment of Galvani he showed that
skinned frog in the neighborhood of an
electrical machine, although dead, eX-
hibited convulsive movements every
time that spark was drawn from the
conductor. In the case of milk turn
ing" or of beer hardening" or of meat
becoming tainted, it is probably there
fore. an instance of chemical convul-
sion or, 1t may be, of a stimulus given
to archaeological agencies set up by an
opposite electric condition induced by
the disturbed electrical state of the at
mOsphere. Although these changes are
most marked during a thunderstorm.
yet undoubtedly they occur at other
|
when there is no apparent electric dis
turbance.
But even when the sky is clear. the
atmosphere may exhibit considerable
electrical tension. The electroscope con-
stantly shows that conducting point
elevated in the air is taking up a POSI-
tive charge (as a rule) of electricity.
the tension rising with the height of
the point. This effect increases toward
daybreak until it reaches maximum,
some hours after sunrise. 1t then di-
minishes until 1t Is weakest, few
hours before sunset when again II rises
and attains a second maximum value
some hours after sunset, the second
minimum occurring before daybreak
There are, accordingly, constant
changes of electrical tension going on,
changes, however, which are more
rapid and much more marked during a
thunderstorm and which are quite
powerful enough to exert an evil infu-
ence on certain articles of food or drink