AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SALIVA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE MUCIN CONTENT

¹ Institute of Dental Surgery, University of London and Eastman Dental Dispensary, Rochester, N. Y.

Several physical properties characteristic of non-Newtonian fluids, such as anomalous viscosity, flow elasticity, tack, and spinnbarkeit, are described, and methods for measuring them are reported. Evaluations of methods for determining mucin content of saliva indicated that tyrosine estimation and a modified A.C.R.A. test gave satisfactory results on suitable samples.

Measurements on 700 samples of saliva made within one hour of secretion revealed some relationship between viscosity, spinnbarkeit, and the content of polymerized mucin as measured by the A.C.R.A. titer. No relation of these physical properties to tyrosine content or tack was found.

Variations in all properties were noted from time to time during the day and also from day to day in the same individuals. It appears that the methods of collecting and treating salivary samples are of great importance in studies of salivary properties.