SUPPRESSION OF SALIVARY SECRETION. XEROSTOMIA.
Causes; fever; vascular vacuity, after bleeding, diarrhœa, etc.; destruction of glands; Calculus. Symptoms; slow, difficult mastication; digestive disorder. Treatment; remove mechanical obstruction; correct constitutional disorder; employ stimulation to gland—pilocarpin, electricity.
Entire suppression of salivary secretion is usually the result of some other disease. It may be a manifestation of the general tendency to retain water in the febrile system, or it may be an indication of vacuity of the vascular system as after bleeding, profuse diarrhœa, diuresis, or diaphoresis, or it may be the result of the entire destruction of a salivary gland or the obstruction of its duct by some foreign body or calculus. In proportion to the completeness of the suppression, mastication and deglutition become difficult or impossible. The condition must be met by the removal of the cause which is operative in the particular case. The treatment may be surgical for the removal of obstructions, or medical with the view of overcoming anæmia, fever, profuse secretions from other emunctories, or the simple physiological inactivity. To meet the last indication small doses of pilocarpin, or the application of a gentle current of electricity will usually succeed.