Hyperhydration and Parotid Flow in Man

¹ Special Laboratory for Research in Oral Physiology, Veterans Administration Hospital, Houston, Texas, and Research in Oral Diseases, Veterans Administration Central Office, Washington, D. C.

Parotid fluid was collected without exogenous stimulation from five groups of 25 subjects each. Each group received a different amount of water under conditions of forced ingestion. The increase in parotid flow rate brought about by water ingestion was highly significant. Doses of 1,000 ml. or more brought about significant increases in flow rate in samples collected 15 to 60 minutes postingestion. These results do not support the observation that overloading the tissues with water exerts no effect on saliva flow rates.