CHAP. I.] 



SUBMAXILLARY SALIVA. 



27 



glossal nerve. L, gustatory or lingual nerve, bridging over the salivary ducts H. On 

 raising the inner border of the divided mylo-hyoid muscles S, S', the lingual nerve 

 may be traced up and the chorda tympani nerve, T, ma}' be seen passing away from the 

 lingual forming a curve, of which the convexity looks downwards. The nerve is seen 

 running towards the hilus of the gland, following a parallel course above the sub- 

 inaxillary duct. U, masseter muscle. Z, point of origin of the mylo-hyoid nerve, of 

 which the filaments are hidden by the notched digastric and mylo-hyoid muscles. 



Physical and Chemical Characters of Normal Submaxillary Saliva. 



The sub- Like the gland which secretes it, the saliva of the 



maxillary sa- submaxillary gland is characterized by the presence of 

 li va of man. mucin, which imparts to it some viscosity. In man 

 this saliva is more fluid than in the dog ; it acquires increased 

 viscidity some time after its secretion. It possesses an alkaline 

 reaction, and has a specific gravity which varies between 1002 and 

 1003 ; it contains from 3 to 4 parts per 1000 of solid matters, of 

 which the most abundant is mucin, though traces of proteids and 

 diastatic ferment are also present. In reference to the latter it 

 may be said that in most animals whose saliva possesses diastatic 

 properties the submaxillary saliva is more active than the parotid. 



When exposed to air it deposits flocculi. According to Eckhard 

 it contains no sulphocyanic acid, but recent authors agree in stating 

 that though this constituent is present in much smaller quantities 

 than in the secretion of the parotid it is not altogether absent 1 . 



submaxii- In the dog the submaxillary saliva has been sub- 



lary saliva jected to very thorough investigation under the most 

 of the dog. diverse circumstances. The secretion is in this animal 

 more viscid than in man ; it does not contain diastatic ferment. 



The results The most recent and most complete analyses of the 

 of quantitative normal submaxillary saliva of the dog have been per- 

 anaiyses. formed by Herter 2 , and the results are stated in the 



following table. 



COMPOSITION OF NORMAL* SUBMAXILLARY SALIVA OF THE DOG. 



(HERTER.) 



1 Consult Maly, ' Chemie der Verdauungssafte und Verdauung.' Hermann's Hand- 

 buck, Vol. v. p. 18. 2 Hoppe-Seyler's Physiologische Chemie, Part n. p. 191. 



