496 
THE SALIVAR Y GLANDS. 
parotid of a rabbit 3 to 6 per cent. In the cat the percentage of 
organic substance in sympathetic saliva from the submaxillary gland is 
small (about 0'5 per cent.), and less than that in the chorda saliva. 
The percentage of salts in sympathetic saliva does not exceed the 
percentage of the salts in saliva produced by stimulating the cranial 
nerve. 
The analyses of the parotid saliva in the rabbit have been made by 
Heidenhain. 1 I extract the following from one experiment : — 
Parotid Gland — Rabbit. 
I 
Time of collect- 
ing Saliva. 
Amount of !J?SE*!£ 
Saliva 0f 0r £ amc 
aaiii a. Substance. 
Percentage of 
Salts. 
Saliva from stimulating both ' 
sympathetics ... 38 min. 2 "6 c.c. 
Pilocarpine saliva from one 
gland . . . . 18 „ 4-2 ,, 
4-93 
0-65 
0-54 
o-si 
The sympathetic saliva in the cat 2 is, as I have said, usually less viscid 
than chorda saliva. But it is possible that a strong or prolonged stimulation 
of the sympathetic might give rise to a saliva with a higher percentage of 
solids than the chorda saliva. I append an analysis of sympathetic and chorda 
saliva in the cat, obtained by moderately strong interrupted currents. 
Percentage 
of Organic 
Substance. 
Percentage 
of Salts. 
Pi i centage 
of Solids. 
Chorda saliva . 
Sympathetic saliva . 
0-87 
0-43 
0-34 1-21 
0-28 070 
The sympathetic secretion in the cat is very much like the "augmented" 
secretion of the gland of the dog (cf. infra), in that it starts quickly, 
quickly becomes slow, and is watery. It differs in the rapidity of recovery 
from the effect of immediately preceding sympathetic stimulation. The 
maximum amount of secretion is obtained by stimulating fifteen seconds out 
of every thirty, or even for shorter periods. 
In certain circumstances the sympathetic may produce a brief rapid 
secretion from any or all of the salivary glands. That is the ease when 
it is stimulated shortly after stimulation of the cranial nerve. There is 
a rush of saliva, quickly following the sympathetic stimulation, reaching 
its maximum in a few seconds, and, after about seven to ten seconds, 
rapidly declining. A very brief stimulation of the cranial nerve is 
sufficient to increase in this way the amount of saliva obtained from 
the sympathetic. And thus, if the cranial nerve and the sympathetic 
nerve be stimulated alternately, a not inconsiderable quantity of 
1 Arch.f. d.ges. Physiol., Bonn, 1878, Bd. xvii. S. 38. 
2 Langley, Journ. Physiol., Cambridge and London, 1S78, vol. i. p. 86; 1885, vol. vi. 
p. 92. 
