612 SAL 
plentifully in most of the salt marshes which 
are overflowed by the tides in many parts of 
England. It is an annual plant, with thick, 
succulent, jointed stalks, winch trail upon the 
ground. 2. The perennis, with a shrubby 
branching stalk, grows naturally in Sheppey 
•island. They are perennial, and produce 
their flowers in the same manner as the former. 
The inhabitants near the sea-coasts where 
these plants grow, cut them up toward the 
latter end of summer, when they are fully 
grown ; and alter having dried them in the 
sun, they burn them for their ashes, which 
are used in making of glass and soap. These 
herbs are by the country people called kelp, 
and promiscuously gathered for use. 
SALIVA. The fluid secreted in the 
mouth, which flows in considerable quantity 
during a repast, is known by the name of sa- 
liva. All the properties of this liquor which 
had been observed by philosophers before 
the middle of the 18th century have been 
collected by Haller ; but since that time se- 
veral additional facts have beer, related by 
Fourcroy, Du Tennetar, and Brugnatelli, 
and a very numerous set of experiments have 
been published by Mr. Siebold in 1797, in 
his Treatise on the Salivary System. 
Saliva is a limpid fluid like water; but 
much more viscid: it has neither smell nor 
taste. Its specific gravity, according to 
Hainberger, is 1.0167; according to Siebold, 
• 1 .030. When agitated, it froths like all other 
adhesive liquids; indeed it is usually mixed 
with air, and has the appearance of froth. 
It neither mixes readily with water nor oil; 
but by trituration in a mortar it may be so 
mixed with water as to pass through a filtre. 
It lias a great affinity for oxygen, absorbs it 
readily from the air, and gives it out again to 
other bodies. Hence the reason why gold or 
silver, triturated with saliva in a mortar, is 
oxidized, as Du Tennetar has observed ; and 
why the killing of mercury by oils is much 
facilitated by spitting into the mixture. Hence 
also, in all probability, the reason that saliva 
is a useful application to sores of the skin. 
Dogs, and several other animals, have con- 
stantly recourse to this remedy, and with 
much advantage. 
When boiled in water, a few flakes of albu- 
men precipitate. When evaporated, it swells 
exceedingly, and leaves behind it a thin 
brown-coloured crust; but if the evaporation 
is conducted slowly, small cubic crystals of 
muriat of soda, (common salt) are formed ; 
and when the evaporation is completed, there 
remains behind a substance which resembles 
vegetable gluten, and which takes fire on 
burning coals, exhaling the odour of prussic 
acid, and of burning feathers. The viscidity 
of saliva, the property which it has of absorb- 
ing oxygen, and of being inspissated, ayd this 
glutinous residuum, announce the presence 
of animal mucilage as a component part. 
When saliva is distilled in a retort, it troths 
very much: 100 paits yield 80 parts of water 
nearly pure, then a little carbonat of ammo- 
nia, some oil, and an add, which perhaps is 
the prussic. The residuum amounts to about 
1.56 parts, and is composed of muriat of soda, 
phosphut of soda, and phosphat of lime. 
When saliva is left exposed to the air, it 
absorbs a considerable portion of it, a slight 
pellicle appears on its surface, it becomes 
muddy, and deposits some Hakes, exhaling 
at the same time a strong ammoniacal odour. 
SAL 
Soon after it putrefies, and becomes exceed- 
ingly fetid. 
The acids and alcohol inspissates saliva; the 
alkalies disengage ammonia ; oxalic acid pre- 
cipitates iime ; and the nitrats of lead, mer- 
cury, and silver, precipitate phosphoric and 
muriatic acids. 
From these facts, it follows that saliva, be- 
sides water, which constitutes at least tour- 
fifths of its bulk, contains the following in- 
gredients: 
1,. Mucilage, 4. Phosphat of soda, 
2. Albumen, 5. Phosphat of lime, 
3. Muriat of soda, 6. Phosphat of ammonia. 
But it cannot be doubted that, like all the 
other animal fluids, it is liable to many 
changes from disease, See. Brugnatelli found 
the saliva of a patient, labouring under an ob- 
stinate venereal disease, impregnated with 
oxalic acid. 
The concretions which sometimes form in 
the salivary ducts, &c. and the tartar or bony 
crust which so often attaches itself to the 
teeth, are composed of phosphut of lime. 
Such are the properties of human saliva. 
The saliva of the horse was analysed by l lapel 
Delachenier in 1730. He collected 12 ounces 
of it in the space of 24 hours bv puncturing 
the salivary duct. Its colour was greenish- 
yellow; its feel soapy; it had a weak disa- 
greeable smell, and a saline taste. Boiling 
water and alcohol coagulated it in part; as 
did the acids. When sulphuric acid was 
used, sulphat of soda was obtained. It pu- 
trefied in about 14 days; and when allowed 
to evaporate spontaneously, it left a black 
residuum like earth. When distilled, it yield- 
ed an insipid watery liquid, crystals of car- 
bonat of ammonia, a thick black empyreu- 
matic oil, carbureted hydrogen, and carbonic 
acid; and a charcoal remained. 
It is rather surprising that no experiments 
have been hitherto made on the saliva of 
dogs ; though the hydrophobia has been usu- 
ally ascribed to the infusion of the saliva of 
that animal rendered morbid by disease. 
SALIVATION. See Medicine. 
SALIX, th ezvilloiv, a genus of the diandria 
order, in the dicecia class of plants, and in the 
natural method ranking under the 50th order, 
amentacea:. The amentum of the male is 
scaly ; there is no corolla ; but a nectariferous 
glandule at the base of the flower. The fe- 
male amentum is scaly ; there is no corolla ; 
the style bifid; the capsule unilocular and 
bivalved ; the seeds pappous. There are 53 
species, of which the most remarkable are, 
1. The caprea, or common sallow-tree, 
grows to but a moderate height, having 
smooth, dark-green, brittle branches ; oval, 
waved, rough leaves, indented at top, and 
woolly underneath. It grows abundantly in 
this country, but more frequently in dry than 
moist situations. It is of a brittle nature, so 
is unfit for the basket-makers ; but will serve 
for poles, stakes, and to lop for fire-wood ; 
and its timber is good for many purposes. 
2. The alba, white, or silver-leaved willow, 
grows to a great height and considerable 
bulk, having smooth, pale-green shoots ; long, 
spear-shaped, acuminated, sawed, silvery- 
white leaves, being downy on both sides, with 
glands below the serratures. This is the 
common white willow, which grows abundant- 
ly about towns and villages, and by the sides 
of rivers and brooks, &c, 
SAL 
3. The vitelllna, yellow or golden willow, 
grows but to a moderate height, having ye l* 
low, very pliant shoots ; oval, acute, serrated, 
very smooth leaves, with the serratures car- 
tilaginous, and with callous punctures on the 
footstalks. 
4. The purpurea, purple or red willow, 
grows to a large height, having long, reddish, 
very pliable shoots, and long, spear-shaped, 
serrated, smooth leaves, the lower ones being 
opposite. 
5. The viminalis, or osier-willow, grows ; 
but a moderate height, having slender rod- 
like branches ; very long, pliant, greenish 
shoots; and very long, narrow, spear-shaped, \ 
acute, almost entire leaves, hoary, and silky ] 
underneath. 
6. The • pentandra, pentandrous, broad- 
leaved, sweet-scented willow, grows to some 
considerable stature, having brownish-green 
branches; oblong, broad, serrated, smooth, 
sweet-scented leaves, shining above ; and 
pentandrous flowers. 
7. Thetriandria, or triandrous willow, grows 
to a- large stature, having numerous,, erect,, 
greyish-green branches, and pliant shoots; 
oblong, acute-pointed, serrated, smooth, shin- 
ing-green leaves, eared at the base ; and tri- 
androus flowers. 
8. The fragilis. fragile or crack willow, rises, 
to a middling stature, with brownish, very 
fragile, or brittle branches, long, oval-lanceo- 
late, sawed, smooth leaves of a shining green, 
on both sides, having dentated glandular foot- 
stalks. This sort in particular being exceed- I 
ingly fragile, so that it easily cracks and 
breaks, is unfit for culture in osier-grounds, j 
9. The Babylonica, Babylonian pendulous 
salix, commonly called weeping willow, grows 
to a largish size, having numerous, long, 
slender, pendulous branches, hanging down' 
loosely all round in a curious manner, and ; 
long, narrow, spear-shaped, serrated, smooth 
leaves. This curious willow is a native of the 
East. 
All the species of salix are of the tree kind, 
very hardy, remarkably fast growers, and se- 
veral of them attaining a considerable stature 
when permitted to run up to standards. They 
are mostly of the aquatic tribe, being gene- , 
rally the most abundant, and of most pros- 1 
perous growth, in watery situations ; they, 
however, will grow freely almost any where, 
in any common soil and exposure ; but grow 
considerably the fastest and strongest in low 
moist land, particularly in marshy situations, 
by the verges of rivers, brooks, and other 
waters; likewise along the sides of watery 
ditches, &c. which places often lying waste, 
may be employed to good advantage in plan- 
tations of willows for different purposes. 
SALMASIA, a genus of the pentandria 
trigynia class and order. The calyx is five- 
parted; corolla five-petalled; style none; 
capsule three-celled, three-valved, many- 
seeded. There is one species, a shrub of; 
Guinea. 
SALMO, salmon, a genus of fishes of the 
order abdominales. The generic character 
is, head smooth, compressed ; tongue cartila- 
ginous ; teeth both in the jaws and on the 
tongue; gill-membrane from four to ten rav- 
ed ; body compressed, furnished at the hind 
part with an adipose fin. 
1. Sahno salar, the common salmon, so 
highly esteemed for the delicacy of its flavour 
and so important an article in a commercial 
