The electrical phenomena 



accompanying the process of secretion in the salivary glands 



of the dog and cat 



by 

 W. M. Bayliss B. Sc, and J. R. Bradford B. Sc. *). 



(From the Physiological Laboratory, University College, London). 



Hermann and Luchsinger appear to be the only observers who 

 have hitherto attempted to detect electrical changes in the salivary 

 glands of the mammal. They performed one experiment upon the 

 submaxillary gland of the dog and having failed to obtain any defi- 

 nite results they do not seem to have repeated it. Hermann consi- 

 dered that from the shape of the alveoli compensation would occur to 

 such an extent that it was hopeless to expect to detect any differences 

 of potential during secretion, and apparently relinquished the in- 

 vestigation. We determined however to repeat the experiment, and 

 have succeeded in detecting well marked differences of potential during 

 secretion. 



We have as yet examined only the submaxillary and parotid of 

 the dog and cat, and in these, not only is the process of secretion 

 accompanied by definite electrical changes, but these changes are 

 different in their character, when the cerebro-spinal and the sympa- 

 thetic fibres passing to the gland are respectively excited. In the 

 parotid the operative details are considerably more difficult than in 

 the submaxillary, and for this and other reasons we have confined 

 our attention almost exclusively to the latter. 



*) An abstract of this paper was read before the Royal Society on Feb. 11*1886 

 and has since been published in the Proceedings (No. 243. p. 203). 



