Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1889 
Chemistry  of  Saliva. 
571 
so  split  up  by  diastase.  Tannin,  also,  is  decomposed  into  gallic  acid 
and  sugar  by  the  diastatic  ferment  of  the  saliva,  and  animal  glycogen 
is  converted  by  it  into  ^-dextrin  and  ptyalase. 
In  respect  to  the  secretion  of  saliva  it  has  been  found  that  a  tem- 
porary diminution  of  human  saliva  may  be  effected  artificially  by 
paralyzing  the  nerves  of  secretion  by  means  of  atropine,  daturine, 
cicutine,  iodethylstrychnine  and  nicotine  in  large  doses.  The  agents 
having  a  reflex  action  upon  the  salivary  function,  as,  for  instance, 
calamus  root,  absinth,  ginger  and  black  and  cayenne  peppers,  stimulate 
the  secretion,  but  where  these  fail,  use  is  made  of  digitalin,  nicotine, 
aconitine,  physostigmine  or  pilocarpine.  Potassium  iodide  has  also 
proved  effective  in  stimulating  the  secretion.  Psychic  moments,  such 
as  the  perception  of  savory  food,  or  lascivious  thoughts,  will  induce  in 
healthy  men  an  increased  flow  of  saliva.  A  salivary  flow  is  also 
caused  by  iodine  salts,  iodine  and  allied  halogens,  gold  chloride  and 
nitrate,  and  copper  and  lead  salts ;  also  by  some  alkaloids,  as  nicotine, 
physostigmine,  and  pilocarpine,  muscarine,  as  well  as  by  digitalin, 
sphacelinic  acid  and  cornutin.  It  has  also  been  observed  in  cases  of 
carbolic  acid  poisoning. 
Should  the  salivary  glands  become  affected  in  consequence  of  fever, 
the  saliva  will  occasionally  contain  as  much  as  5  per  cent,  of  albumen, 
and  also  in  cases  of  iodism  and  mercurialism.  When  there  is  blood 
decomposition,  as,  for.  instance,  the  dissolving  of  the  blood  corpuscles 
by  anseniurretted  hydrogen,  frequently  the  saliva  will  be  sanguineous. 
In  cases  of  suppression  of  urine  the  occurrence  of  urea  in  the  saliva 
has  been  observed.  In  uraemia  ammonium  carbonate  has  been  ascer- 
tained to  be  a  constituent,  and  in  mercurial  salivation  valerianic  acid 
appears  in  small  quantities. 
The  passage  of  arsenical  medicines  into  the  saliva  is  frequently 
observed,  while  iodine  and  bromine  especially  find  their  way  into  it 
very  rapidly.  The  interval  between  the  taking  of  0*2  gram  of  potas- 
sium iodide  fasting  and  the  first  detection  of  an  iodine  reaction  in  the 
saliva  varies  between  nine  and  twenty-two  minutes,  and  in  the  urine 
between  nine  and  nineteen  minutes.  The  metals  combined  with  the 
halogens  iodine  and  bromine,  such  as  potassium,  sodium  or  lithium, 
cannot  be  detected  simultaneously  in  the  saliva.  Mercury  passes  into 
the  saliva  only  when  the  system  is  completely  saturated  with  that 
metal.  Saliva  containing  iodine  or  bromine  converts  starch  equally 
rapidly  into  dextrin  and  maltose  as  when  normal ;  also  calomel  saliva 
