| What Is Raw Milk?
"Raw" milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. Most
raw milk has bacteria in it. Milk is a protein. Bacteria grow well in
proteins. In several provinces it is against the law to even give raw
milk away. Today, we do not see many health problems because of raw
milk, but they do happen. In Peterborough, Ontario in 1981, eight newborn
babies in one hospital got salmonella (a type of food poisoning). Doctors
later found that one of the mothers drank raw milk during her pregnancy.
She got salmonella, but did not show any signs of illness. She passed
the sickness to her newborn child, who also showed no signs of illness.
He passed the infection to other babies who became ill. One of these
babies died.1 There were many problems like this before milk was pasteurized.
What Is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization kills bacteria and makes milk safe to drink. When milk
is pasteurized, it is heated very quickly to a temperature of 63 degrees
celsius (145 degrees fahrenheit) for 30 minutes. Then it is cooled.
If pasteurized milk is kept at a temperature of less than ten degrees
celsius, it stays fresh for a few weeks.2 In Canada, it is
not legal to sell unpasteurized milk.
Milk is an important food for children because it provides protein
and calcium. They help muscles and bones to grow properly. Today, we
take fresh, pure milk for granted. In the past, parents could not. It
was hard to keep unpasteurized milk fresh and safe to drink.
Living Conditions in the Past
If you could visit St. John's in the early 1900s, you would find a
very different city. There were no cars. Most streets were not paved.
Horse drawn wagons were everywhere. You would recognize many of the
houses downtown because they are still standing today. But inside the
houses, life was very different.
Water And Sewage
St. John's has had a public water supply since the 1860s, but even in
1915 there were about 2,000 houses in the city that did not have running
water or sewer connections for toilets. Many people had to carry all
their water from pumps on the streets. If you have ever had to go without
running water, you know what that is like. It is hard work to carry
every pail of water used for drinking, cooking and washing.
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