102 A Manual of Vetcr'vao.ry Physiology. 



deposit of carbonate of lime due to the removal of its carbonic 

 acid ; in reaction it is alkaline, and its specific gravity is 

 1005 in the horse, and 1010 in the ox. Saliva examined 

 microscopically is found to consist of granules, epithelial 

 cells, bacteria, and salivary corpuscles. 



About "0 per cent, of the saliva consists of mineral matter, 

 and "2 per cent., more or less, of organic matter ; the latter 

 consisting of mucin, which gives saliva its well-known vis- 

 cidity and ropiness, and proteid bodies of the serum albumin 

 and globulin class. We make no mention of ptyalin, a sub- 

 stance of which we shall shortly speak, as it is doubtful if 

 it exists in the herbivora, and under any circumstances its 

 amount has not been determined. 



Lassaigne gives the following analysis of the mixed saliva 

 of the horse and ox : 



Ease. Ox. 



Water - - - 99200 990*74 



Mucin and albumin - - 2'00 • 44 



Alkaline carbonates - - 1-08 .'> :!S 



„ chlorides - - - 4!»_' 2-Sf> 



„ phosphates and phosphate 



of lime (traces) - — 2*59 



Lehmann gives the following analysis of horse saliva 

 from the parotid : 



The salts of saliva are principally carbonate of lime, 

 alkaline chlorides, and phosphate of lime and magnesia. A 



substance known as sulphocyanide of potassium has been 

 found in minute quantities in the saliva of the human sub- 

 ject, but is absent from that of the horse. 



The gases of the saliva are principally carbonic acid with 

 traces of oxygen and nitrogen. There is no fluid in the 

 body which contains so much C0 2 as saliva. 



