The relation of ptyalin concentration to the diet and to the rate of salivary secretion

1. The relation of ptyalin concentration to the diet.

a. In Man.— 1. In the fall of 1908 the diastatic power of the parotid saliva of three individuals (A. J. C., A. L. C., C. C.) designated for convenience as A, B, and C, was compared daily for a period of ten days. The saliva of A was uniformly slightly stronger than that of B, and considerably stronger than that of C. At the end of the ten-day period B and C were put on an exclusive vegetarian diet, that is, meat was excluded and the carbohydrates greatly increased, for ten days, while A continued on the ordinary mixed diet. The diastatic power of the parotid salivas was tested daily and there was no increase in B and C as checked against A.

2. The diastatic power of the parotid saliva of a man who for four years had been a consistent vegetarian was checked (for seven days) against that that of A and B. It was uniformly less than A and practically the same as B.