8 THE SECRETIONS: 



Water . . . 996-0 



Organic matter . . 3'5 



Inorganic matter . . *5 



The ptyalin amounted to only I'l. 



He was unable to detect any difference between the saliva 

 of man and woman. 



Enderlin has made numerous analyses of the ash left after 

 the incineration of the saliva, and has always found it to have 

 the same constituents. He considers that its alkaline reaction 

 is due to the tribasic phosphate of soda (3NaO, PO 5 ) which 

 retains the mucus and protein-compounds in solution. Enderlin 

 observes that, independently of conclusions deduced from the 

 ash, he has sought unsuccessfully, in a direct manner, for lac- 

 tates in the saliva. On incinerating salivary mucus obtained 

 by washing that constituent from a filter, the residue is found 

 to consist of phosphate of lime, with traces of chloride of sodium 

 and phosphate of soda, the same composition as the tartar that 

 collects on the teeth. 



A quantitative analysis of the ash from a large amount of 

 saliva obtained from different persons, yielded the following 

 results : 



A. Constituents soluble in water. 



Tribasic phosphate of soda (3NaO, P0 5 ) . 28-122"! 



Chlorides of sodium and potassium . 61-930 192-387 



Sulphate of soda . . . 2-315 J 



B. Constituents insoluble in water. 

 Phosphate of lime 



magnesia ? , 1 5-509 ] 



peroxide of iron 



Very little is known with certainty regarding the part taken 

 by the saliva in the process of digestion. Spallanzani fancied 

 that he had observed that food inclosed in tubes pierced with 

 numerous apertures, and moistened by the saliva, was more 

 rapidly digested than when simply moistened with water. 

 Berzelius, however, found that the saliva exerts no greater 

 solvent power than pure water, and Muller confirms his state- 

 ment. Hiinefeld, on the other hand, believes that the object 

 of the saliva is to destroy the tenacity of the food, and he 



