MORBID SALIVA. 11 



Water . . 970-0 in place of 986-5 



Organic matters . 28-6 12-6 



Inorganic matters . 1-1 1'9 



The mean amount of ptyalin was 2*6, or very nearly the 

 normal quantity. He attributes the large amount of organic 

 matter to the increased quantity of mucus secreted by the 

 buccal membrane. 



Dr. Wright also found that the saliva of mercurial ptyalism 

 contained an unusual amount of mucus. It consisted of: 



Water .... 988-7 



Ptyalin . . . . 1-9 



Fatty acid .... -4 



Albumen with soda, and \ 



Albuminate of soda J 



Mucus with a trace of ptyalin . . 3-8 



p , ' i 



Phosphates . . I 



Muriates . . I T . 



Lime J 

 Hydrosulphocyanates . -* 



He could not detect the slightest trace of mercury in it.] 



Gmelin 1 has examined saliva discharged in consequence of 

 salivation produced by mercurial inunction. In one case it 

 was brown and turbid, and contained a large quantity of fat 

 but not much albumen; in another instance it presented a 

 yellow tint ; it contained a large quantity of yellow fat, and 

 when heated, gave no perceptible indication of coagulation. In 

 both cases, but most decidedly in the latter, indications of mer- 

 cury were obtained. 2 Thomson 3 found the saliva resulting 



1 Pogg. Ann. 41, p. 438. 



2 Gmelin employed Smithson's method for the detection of the mercury. A large 

 quantity of saliva was treated with nitric acid, and evaporated ; the residue was di- 

 gested with nitric acid and dissolved in water ; and, after the removal of fat by filtra- 

 tion, a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen was passed through it. The precipitate 

 obtained by this process contains sulphuret of mercury ; it must be collected, digested 

 in nitro-muriatic acid, evaporated, dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, and a bit of 

 gold-leaf enveloped in tin-foil, or encircled by iron wire, suspended in the fluid. The 

 gold is tarnished if mercury is present. No tin-foil should be used that has not been 

 itself tested for mercury. In place of the gold-leaf I have employed the blade of a 

 knife with advantage. 



3 Annals of Philosophy, vol. vi, p. 397. 



