Either because of its inordinate length or because it shares in a general pharyngitis the uvula may touch and irritate the back of the tongue leading to irritable cough or repeated attempts at clearing the throat. Usually an astringent gargle is sufficient treatment; formerly a portion of the uvula was burned with caustic or snipped off with scissors, but this procedure is undesirable since removal of too much leads to regurgitation of food or drink through the nose in swallowing from failure of complete coaptation of the uvula and anterior pillars of the fauces.
This rare condition is of nervous origin and probably is allied to the deficient secretion of saliva actuated by fear in ancient trials by ordeal. Dryness of the mouth in fever and in bella donna poisoning though equally due to deficient secretion of saliva, is not included under the term.
results from the action of certain poisons, e.g., mercury, potassium iodide, and accompanies many diseased condi tions of the mouth. In cancer of the tongue, floor of mouth, cheek or gingival border, salivation is one of the most distressing symptoms. Mercurial salivation has disappeared largely since
modern methods of treating syphilis have been introduced, and at present is mainly the result of industrial conditions.
is an oral swelling in the floor of the mouth filled with clear fluid; it depends upon accumulation of saliva in the duct of the salivary gland behind an impacted salivary calculus.
has disappeared since the manufacture of matches with red phosphorus superseded use of the amorphous variety. Formerly it was common owing to the fact that the fumes attacked the jaws of workers in the region of carious teeth; extensive necrosis of the bones of the jaw and falling out of teeth, followed by severe constitutional disease of ten resulted and death was not uncommon.
are rare conditions in which the tongue and lips respectively are enormously enlarged from blockage of their main lymphatic channels. The condition is therefore akin to elephantiasis (q.v.). The tongue may be so large that it protrudes from the mouth for several inches.