Review. 181 



«« The saliva, or spittle, is secreted by a complex 

 glandular apparatus, from the most refined arterial 

 blood, and constantly distils into the mouth, in health ; 

 and from the mouth into the stomach, at the rate of 12 

 ounces a day*. It very much resembles the gastric 

 juice in the stomach ; and its importance in digestion 

 may be imagined, after listening to the words of the 

 great Boerhaave. • Whenever the saliva is lavishly 

 spit away, we remove one of the strongest causes of 

 hunger and digestion. The chyle, prepared without 

 this fluid, is depraved, and the blood is vitiated for 

 want of it. I once tried,' says this great philosopher, 

 and consummate physician, ' an experiment on my- 

 self, by spitting out all my saliva ; the consequence 

 was, that I lost my appetitef. Hence we see the per- 

 nicious effects of chewing and smoking tobacco. I am 

 of opinion, that smoking tobacco is very pernicious to 

 lean and hypochondriacal persons, by destroying their 

 appetite, and weakening digestion. When this cele- 

 brated plant was first brought into use in Europe, it 

 was cried up for a certain antidote to hunger ; but it 

 was soon observed, that the number of hypochondriacal 

 and consumptive people were greatly increased by 

 its use%.'' The celebrated Cullen says, a constant 

 chewing of tobacco destroys the appetite, by depriving 

 the constitution of too much saliva||. 



* " Boerhave's Academ. Lectures. 



t " Females who spin flax, and the manufacturers of straw- 

 bonnets, suffer from the same cause. 

 \ " Boerhave's Academ. Lectures. 

 || " Cullen's Materia Medica. 



