204 
OliSEllVATIONS ON SOUNDNESS. 
inner part of the aiuj^le of tlie jaw^ and crosses over the poste¬ 
rior edge of the bone just above the submaxillary artery. It 
pierces the buccinator obliquely, and terminates by a small 
eminence upon the inner surface of the membrane of the 
mouth, near to the second molar tooth. 
The submaxillary gland is much smaller than the parotid; 
it lies in the space between the angles of the jaw, is loosely 
attached by cellular membrane, and is very like the parotid in 
structure. The termination of the duct will be found upon 
the frmnum linguae. 
The sublingual gland is much smaller than the last named. 
It will be seen upon the under part of the tongue. Its ducts 
penetrate the membrane by the side of the fraenum linguae. 
During the mastication of the food, saliva is constantly making 
its way into the mouth, for the purpose of being mixed up 
with it, rendering the act of chewing more easy. The 
secretion is formed by the three pairs of glands before men¬ 
tioned. The fluid obtained from the mouth cannot, however, 
be said to be pure saliva, because a great deal of mucus is 
found with it. Saliva contains animal and saline matters, 
free soda and sulphocyanite of potass. The saline constituents 
of the saliva are nearly identical with those of the blood. 
The tartar found about the teeth is chiefly composed of the 
earthy phosphates, the particles being held together by animal 
matter. 
The quantity of saliva formed during the twenty-four hours 
has been variously estimated. I think it almost impossible 
to know what amount is secreted. It is said that a man will 
secrete from eighteen to twenty ounces in a day; this, how¬ 
ever, is mere speculation. A horse, we all know, produces a 
prodigious quantity, from the fact of his being engaged so 
many hours in the act of masticating his food. The flow of 
saliva seldom takes place when it is not wanted. The saliva, 
having performed its duty in the mouth, passes on with the 
food to the stomach, and there mingles with other fluids, 
which further prepare the ingesta for its final destination. 
It is now believed by some physiologists that oxygen gas is 
likewise conveyed^ to the stomach through the medium of 
the saliva. 
In ^Markham’s Masterpiece,'’ one of the most ancient works 
on diseases of the horse, we read, under the head strangles, 
—This is but a mean inflam.mation of the throat, proceeding 
from some choleric or bloody fluxion, which comes out of the 
branches of the throat-veins into those parts, and there 
breedeth some hot inflammation, being stirred up either by 
some great winter-cold, or cpld taken after labour. It is a 
