78 A STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE 



rate of flow and composition of the saliva in man, the ac- 

 companying experiments, by the method above indicated, may 

 be cited (p. 77). The first two (I and II) show the results 

 obtained with successive portions of water ; in the following 

 ones, a control experiment with water in each instance pre- 

 ceded the trial with the alcoholic fluid. 



The alcoholic content of the fluids employed was as follows : 

 Brandy, 47 per cent by vol. ; gin, 51 per cent ; sherry, 21 per 

 cent. 



From these figures it is seen that the results obtained with 

 two successive portions of water scarcely differ from each 

 other, the tendency, however, being towards decreased flow 

 accompanied by decrease in dissolved material in the saliva. 

 Interpreted in physiological terms, these results indicate that 

 the second stimulation with water is, if anything, weaker than 

 its predecessor. In decided contrast appear the results ob- 

 tained with the alcoholic liquors. Here may be observed an 

 increased flow of saliva, not pronounced, but accompanied by 

 an increase in both organic and inorganic constituents. The 

 effect is precisely analogous, both in composition and rate of 

 flow, to that brought about by an increase in intensity of stim- 

 ulation, when the salivary glands are electrically excited 

 through their nerves.* 



The following diagram represents in graphic form the results 

 given in the preceding table, i. e. (1), the relative rate of flow 

 induced by water and by the alcoholic fluid ; (2) the content 

 of solid matter, together with the relative proportion of ash or 

 inorganic matter and of organic matter as indicated by the loss 

 on ignition. 



The Influence of Alcoholic Liquors introduced directly into the 

 Stomach. In our experiments on the reflex stimulation of 

 salivary flow, the attempt to produce a persisting secretion due 

 to the presence of alcohol in the stomach was unsuccessful ; 

 nor have we been able to obtain evidence of an unusual flow 



Cf . Heidenhain : Archiv fttr die ges. Physiol., 1878, xvii, p. 7, and Her- 

 mann's Handbuch der Physiologic, v, p. 52. 



