420 



SALIVA. 



Rannla. The disease called ranula, which 

 was long supposed to depend upon the deten- 

 tion of saliva within the salivary duct, owing to 

 inflammatory closure of its orifice, and the dis- 

 tention consequent upon such condition, has 

 been lately shown by Dr. Goruss Besanez* 

 to depend on the development of an encysted 

 tumour within the duct. The fluid evacuated 

 from ranula has been analysed by him, and its 

 composition determined as follows : 



Water - 95'029 



Traces of fat and chloride of 



sodium - 1'062 



Aqueous extractive matter - 0-923 



Albuminate of soda - 2'986 



This analysis shows the contained fluid of 



ranula to differ entirely from saliva, and places 



it among the products of morbid secreting 



sacs. Under the microscope, blood corpuscles 



and inflammatory exudation corpuscles were 



observed, none of the ordinary characters of 



saliva appearing. Much curious information 



has been collected by Dr. Wright with regard 



to the morbid conditions of saliva, and the 



production of hydrophobic disease. Among 



the statements made by various authors are 



the following, -j- 



Hydrophobia. Ambrose Pare agrees with 

 Galen and Dioscorides in the opinion that 

 morbid saliva may produce hydrophobia by 

 contact with the second skin. The disease is 

 stated by Ccelius Aurelianns to have been com- 

 municated to a sempstress who used her teeth 

 to unsew the cloak of a hydrophobic patient. 

 Schenckins states hydrophobia to have been 

 communicated by a sword which had been used 

 some years before for the purpose of destroying 

 a rabid dog. Palmarius relates that a peasant 

 rendered his children rabid by kissing them. 



Magendie and Breschet succeeded in pro- 

 ducing hydrophobia in a dog by inserting the 

 saliva of a rabid man under the skin of the 

 animal. Dr. Herturch found that out of fifty- 

 nine trials, only fourteen animals became 

 aflfected with real rabies. Mr. Youatt suc- 

 ceeded in causing hydrophobia in a healthy 

 dog by inserting as a seton-cord a piece of 



* Heller's Archiv fur Phys. mid Patholog. Che- 

 mie und Mikroskopie, vol. ii. 



t See Dr. Wright's communications to the Lancet, 

 1844. 



silk moistened in the mouth of a hydrophobic 

 animal. There appears but little doubt that 

 hydrophobia is really a disease produced by 

 a morbid poison circulating in the system ; 

 nor does the long period which occasionally 

 elapses between inoculation and the develop- 

 ment of the disease in any way militate 

 against the correctness of such a view, for we 

 are aware, from the history of other well- 

 recognised morbid poisons, how various the 

 period required for development of action is; 

 probably bearing some relation to the tempe- 

 rament and general habits of the subject af- 

 fected. 



Dr. Wright believes that there is no che- 

 mical difference (or, rather, none admitting of 

 detection) between healthy saliva and that 

 secretion which is capable of producing hy- 

 drophobia. He has succeeded in producing 

 rabies by injecting healthy saliva into the 

 veins of animals, and it appears probable from 

 his observations, that the difference between 

 saliva capable of producing hydrophobia, and 

 the fluid in its normal state, must be regarded 

 rather as one of degree than in kind. 



Infection. Saliva is said to have produced 

 disease by contact in a variety of ways ; with 

 how much truth appears most uncertain, but 

 the following statements are related as mat- 

 ters of fact : 



Syphilis is said to have been communicated 

 by kissing, and by the morbid saliva adhering 

 to a drinking cup. Lassius, Wedelius, and 

 Victor Schneider are of that opinion. Phthi- 

 sis, according to Bernhard Gladbach, lias been 

 communicated by means of the saliva; and 

 scurvy, also, according to Rolfincius, Senner- 

 tus, and Michael. Ledelius states that an old 

 woman infected a boy with ague by giving 

 him bread to eat which she had previously 

 mumbled. Many other equally strange and 

 disgusting statements of this kind have been 

 put forth by old writers, which show little 

 else than the imperfect method of inquiry 

 which satisfied the older investigators, and a 

 lamentable inclination on their part to re- 

 gard coincidences as of necessity bearing the 

 relation of cause and effect. 



The saliva is stated to become coloured 

 occasionally, but the subject requires further 

 investigation. Drs. Thomson and Christison 

 have noticed it of a bine colour under the use 

 of lead, and Dr. Wright says that ordinary 

 medicinal doses will produce that effect. The 

 same observer has noticed a deep blue co- 

 loured saliva in purpura and advanced stages 

 of fever, and is of opinion that prussian blue 

 is the cause, but has not yet examined the 

 point. Great acridity of saliva has been ob- 

 served in maniacal patients. Dr. Wright has 

 recorded that such saliva is sometimes so 

 irritating as to be capable of excoriating the 

 hand when applied to it. 



Children's saliva may become so acrid as to 

 excoriate the nipples of any nurse who may 

 suckle them. 



Mercurial Salivation. Simon has obtained 

 acetic acid from saliva discharged during sali- 

 vation, and believes it may also exist in rheu- 



