423 
ANALYSIS OF SALIVA. 
By M. M. Tiedman and Gmelin. 
BERZELIUS had published a careful analysis of the saliva of 
the human being. 
' Water - - - - 992.9 
A peculiar animal matter - - 2.9 
Mucus - - - - - 1.4 
Alkaline muriates - - - 1.7 
Lactate of soda and animal matter 0.9 
Pure soda - - _ - 0.2 
1000 
M, M. Tiedman and Gmelin give the following result of 
numerous experiments" on the saliva of man, the sheep, and the 
dog:— 
Human saliva contains from 1 to 2.5 per cent, of solid matter; 
that of the dog contains more. The various kinds of saliva con¬ 
sist of, 1st, the principle of saliva {speichelstof ); 2ndly, osma- 
zome -y 3dly, mucous matter,’which appears to be held in solution by 
the carbonate of potash; 4thly, probably a little albumine; Sthly, 
in the human saliva, a fatty matter containing phosphorus; 6thly, 
soluble salts, consisting of acetate of potash, the presence of 
which, however, cannot be' ascertained by any direct means, but 
only by incineration; carbonate, or probably bicarbonate of potash, 
which in the sheep occasions the saliva to effervesce with acids, 
and which is found in greatest quantity in the sheep, next in the 
dog, and least of all in man; sulphate of potash in very small 
quantity in all; muriate of potash; an alkaline sulphocyanuret, 
most in the human saliva, very little in the sheep, and none in 
the dog. The muriate in man is almost entirely that of potash ; 
in the dog and sheep it is muriate of soda, with very little muriate 
of potash. The contents of the saliva which are insoluble in water 
are, phosphate of lime, less carbonate of lime, and very little car¬ 
bonate of magnesia. {Ann.de Chim. et de Phys. tom. xxxv, p. 266.) 
