Mifcellanea Curiofa. 1 6 f 



from one fide towards the other, they grind 

 what they have between them into pieces. 

 The Pofuion of thefe Teeth too is as conve- 

 ninent as that of the Inciforcs , and the Den- 

 tes Canini : For being defign'd to break thofe 

 pieces of our (olid Food, which are taken in- 

 to the Mouth, and thefe pieces, when they 

 are comprefs'd, and mov'd by the Dcntes Mo- 

 (ares, being apt to fly out of the Mouth, if 

 there were no Contrivance to prevent it, they 

 are placed beyond the Aperture of the Mouth, 

 and oppofite to the . Cheeks, which keep the 

 Food within that Cavity, and not only lb, 

 but prefs it in between the Dentes Mo! ares on 

 one fide, as the Tongue does on the other, 

 until they have fufBciently broken and divi- 

 ded it. 



At the fame time, whilft the Dentes Molares 

 are breaking the Food, there flows into the 

 Mouth a Salival Juice, which mixes with it, and 

 not only ferves to moiften it, and to render h 

 more apt and eafie to be divided, but feems 

 to be the Ferment, by the Benefit of which the 

 Food is diflblved and digefted. And therefore 

 it is intimately mixed with ir, by the Teeth 

 agitating or ftirring them together in Mafti- 

 cation. 



This Liquor, which we commonly call the 

 Saliva, or Spittle, feems to be a Compofi- 

 tion made of two feveral Juices, very diffe- 

 rent in their Nature And therefore the fe- 

 veral Parts of it are feparated by their pro- 

 per Glands, and Nature has planted rjo fewer 

 than four Pair about the Mouth, which fup- 

 ply the Juices that make the Saliva ; to wit, 

 the Parotides^ and the Glandule Nuckjan<e 9 thc 

 M GlanduU 



