Electrolytes of Saliva Under Normal and Pathological Conditions.

The growing perception of the close relations of saliva to the teeth and the surrounding tissues led to systematic analyses of the mixed saliva in order to obtain normal or standard values for the electrolytes and thus a foundation for the study of this secretion under pathological conditions. The examinations of the physiological resting saliva were made on persons with absolutely intact teeth and normal gum tissues, and, who were known not to have been sick within the last 3 or 4 years. In all cases the saliva has been analyzed as to its content of cations and anions, namely Cations: K, Ca, Mg, Na; Anions: Cl, P, (i. e., PO4), CNS, as well as the H-ion concentration (pH). The CO2 capacity and viscosity.1. It was found that under physiological conditions the excretion of cations and anions diminishes, with the exception of potassium (between 20 and 40 years) but noticeably increases with an advance in age.2. By an arithmetical average for the different saliva components the following normal standard valu...