The Philosophy of Health; Volume 2 (of 2) / or, an exposition of the physical and mental constitution of man

by Southwood Smith

1. From the membrane which lines the internal surface of the mouth, and which affords a covering to all the parts contained in it.

2. From numerous minute glands placed in clusters about the cheeks, gums, lips, palate, and tongue. Each of these glands is furnished with its own little duct, which, piercing the mucous membrane, opens into the cavity of the mouth. From these glands is derived the fluid with which the interior of the mouth is lubricated. It consists of a glutinous, adhesive, transparent fluid, of a light grey tint, salt taste, and slightly alkaline nature, termed mucus.

Fig. CLXV.—View of the Parotid Gland with the Muscles of the Face.

1. Parotid gland. 2. Parotid duct. 3. Masseter muscle. 4. Buccinator. 5. Triangularis, or depressor of the angle of the mouth. 6. Depressor of the lower lip. 7. Orbicularis, or circular muscle of the mouth. 8. Great zygomatic, or the distorter of the mouth, as in laughing. 9. Elevator of the angle of the mouth. 10. Elevator of the upper lip, and wing of the nose. 11. Compressor of the cartilage of the nose. 12. Orbicularis, or circular muscle of the eyelids. 13. Occipito frontalis; elevator of the eyelids; motor of the scalp, &c., an important muscle of expression. 14. Tendinous portion of the occipito frontalis. 15. Elevator of the ear.

3. From six large glands placed symmetrically, three on each side, termed the salivary glands, namely, the parotid (fig. [CLXV]. 1), situated before the ear; the submaxillary (fig. [CLIII]. 4), situated beneath the lower jaw; and the sublingual (fig. [CLIII]. 5), situated immediately under the tongue. Each of these glands is provided with a duct (figs. [CLXV]. 2, and cliii. 4, 5), by which it pours the fluid it elaborates, called saliva, into the mouth.

597. The other fluids of the mouth are always mixed with the saliva, and are all commonly included under that name. The secretion of these fluids is unceasing, and they pass into the stomach by successive acts of deglutition at nearly regular intervals; so that the stomach, after it has been some time without food, contains a considerable quantity of these fluids. But they are chiefly needed during the operation of mastication, and two provisions are made for securing their flow in the greatest abundance at that time.

598. First, the situation of the glands is such that they are all exposed to the action of the muscles of mastication (figs. [CLXIII]. and [CLXIV]. ), by which action the glands are excited, a large quantity of blood is determined to them, and the quantity of fluid they secrete is proportionate to the quantity of blood they receive. Secondly, the glands are placed under the influence of the mind, so that the very thought, and still more the taste, of grateful food, acting upon them as an additional stimulus, causes an additional secretion. The quantity of fluid formed from these different sources, and mixed with the food during the mastication of an ordinary meal, is estimated at half a pint. It must commonly be more than this, because, in a case described by Dr. Gairdner, of Edinburgh, in which the esophagus had been cut through, it was observed that from six to eight ounces of saliva were discharged during a meal, which consisted merely of broth injected through the divided esophagus into the stomach.

599. Saliva is a frothy, watery fluid, in its healthy state nearly insipid, and of a slightly alkaline nature. It is composed of water, a peculiar animal substance called salivary matter, mucus, osmazome, a little albumen, and several salts. It produces important changes on the food. By the water, and the salts contained in it, it softens and dissolves the food; and thus, while it renders it easier to be swallowed, it prepares it for the subsequent changes it is to undergo. To this latter object, the assimilation of the food, it seems to communicate the first tendency by the azotized substances, the salivary, and the albuminous matter which it adds to it. From this, the commencement of the assimilative process to its completion, animalized substances are successively added to the food which have the property of converting the food more and more into the nature of animal substance.

600. Comminuted by the teeth, and softened by the saliva, the food is reduced to a pulp. In this pulp there is a complete admixture of all the alimentary substances with the assimilative matter secreted from the blood, into the nature of which it is to be ultimately changed. The mass is at the same time brought to the temperature of the blood.