186 
Notes  on  Ptyalin. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\     Apr.  1,  1874. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  weakest  alcohol  distills  over  first,  which 
would  lead  to  the  supposition  of  an  affinity  of  the  lime  for  the  stronger 
portion  of  alcohol,  or  else  water  having  a  greater  disposition  to  va- 
porize in  an  atmosphere  of  alcohol  vapor. 
The  distillates  all  contain  lime,  which  does  not  separate  on  stand- 
ing, the  stronger  the  alcohol  the  greater  appears  to  be  the  amount  of 
lime  present.  Redistillation  from  overdry  tartaric  acid  removes  the 
lime,  (Gmelin,)  and  renders  the  alcohol  perfectly  clear. 
—Philadelphia,  March,  1874. 
NOTES  ON  PTYALIN. 
By  Albert  P.  Brown,  G.  P. 
At  the  pharmaceutical  meeting  held  in  January  I  stated  that  at 
the  suggestion  of  my  friend  Dr.  Marcy  I  had  experimented  with  the 
parotid  gland  of  the  pig  in  order,  if  possible,  to  obtain  ptyalin. 
Ptyalin  is  found  in  the  saliva,  and  acts  on  starch,  rapidly  changing  it 
into  glucose.  The  parotid  gland  is  the  "salivatory  gland,  situated  near- 
est the  ear,  which  pours  its  secretion  into  the  mouth  during  mastica- 
tion. It  is  largest  in  the  herbivora,  and  those  animals  whose  food  is 
most  difficult  of  mastication.  Its  duct,  called  the  duct  of  Steno, 
opens  into  the  mouth  opposite  the  second  molar  tooth. 
The  parotids  were  obtained  from  the  butcher  immediately  after 
killing,  chopped  fine,  macerated  in  water  acidulated  with  hydrochloric 
acid  for  twenty  four  hours,  and  then  separated  by  filtration.  To  the 
acidulated  solution  a  saturated  solution  of  sodium  chloride  was  added, 
which  caused  a  precipitate;  this  was  allowed  to  stand  until  the  precip- 
itate rose  to  the  surface;  it  was  then  skimmed  off  and  placed  on  a  mus- 
lin filter  to  drain,  afterwards  washed  with  a  weak  solution  of  sodium 
chloride,  and  then  pressed.  When  all  the  salt  solution  had  been  re- 
moved and  the  mass  was  nearly  dry,  it  was  rubbed  with  a  quantity  of 
milk  sugar  and  then  thoroughly  dried  without  heat,  after  which  it  was 
diluted  with  sugar  of  milk  until  five  grains  dissolved  in  one  fluidrachm 
of  water  would  emulsify  to  fiuidrachms  of  cod  liver  oil ;  in  other 
words,  it  is  prepared  in  the  same  manner  that  pepsin  and  pancreatin 
are.  Ptyalin  is  most  beneficially  employed  in  combination  with  pep- 
sin and  pancreatin,  as  a  promoter  of  digestion.  The  hurried  manner 
in  which  nearly  all  Americans  masticate  their  food  interferes  with  the 
<very  first  condition  to  healthy  digestion.    I  have  seen  some  severe 
