Mercury is now no longer given purposely for its effects on the mouth and salivary glands. These are considered only as signs of its influence on the system; and the aim is always to produce as little of them as possible, compatible with other objects. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that they are in themselves often, to a certain extent, serviceable in disease; so that, when they are accidentally or unavoidably carried beyond the degree considered desirable, they are by no means always an unmitigated evil. it is even highly probable, that a much more profound influence is sometimes exerted upon disease by that amount of general mercurialization which is marked by severe ptyalism, than by that attendant upon the mere touching of the mouth. The ptyalism itself operates advantageously in two modes; by revulsion, namely, and by depiction. in both these methods it serves to relieve inflammation of the neighbouring parts, as of the brain, eyes, ears, and air-passages. The amount of saliva lost must sometimes act with considerable depletory effect upon the system at large, and thus prove serviceable in inflammations more remotely seated. Sixteen pounds are said to have been secreted in twenty-four hours; and, as the saliva of mercurialism contains a considerable proportion of organic matter, there must have been, in such a case, very considerable loss to the system. But, by almost universal consent, the good resulting, in either mode, from excessive ptyalism, is considered insufficient to outweigh the positive sufferings and possible evils which may result from it; and a practitioner is scarcely thought justifiable, either in aiming to produce it, or in not taking all due precautions to restrain it within proper limits, when he may deem that he is bound to run the risk of its occurrence.