A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Development of the Submaxillary and Sublingual Salivary Glands in Human Embryos

Although the stomatologist is well aware of the importance of the salivary glands, both in regard to their physiological function and to the influence of their secretion on the condition of the teeth, he has given little or no attention to the development of these organs.Of the anatomists, very few have made a detached study of this subject and the number of human embryos which have been studied for this purpose is too limited to comprise the basis for a comprehensive knowledge.Chievitz of Copenhagen published, in 1885, an admirable work, "Beitrage zur Entwickelungsgeschichte der Speicheldrusen," upon which most of our present knowledge is based.He describes detailed observations on embryos of six, eight, ten and twelve weeks, and some findings in two older specimens.Bujard of Geneva published, in 1911, an article, "Reconstructions plastiques des glandes salivaires d'un fetus humain de 10 semaines environ."His excellent obser- vations are all based upon a 35 mm.embryo (teAte siege).The fourth volume of "Studies in Cancer and Allied Subjects," issued by Co- lumbia University, contains the result of a careful study, by Schulte, of the human salivary glands of three embryos.The embryos are nos.229. 325 and 3 of the Columbia collection and measure 7.5 mm., 20 mm. and 22 mm., respectively.Besides these there are a few short remarks of importance found in articles by His, 1885 (embryos 12.5, 13.8 and 18.5 mm. in length), Hammar, 1901, Stdhr, 1905, and Paulet, 1911 (embryo, 14.7 mm. in length).95