Abstract: Twenty-seven specimens of adaut salivary glands were studied with five histochemical methods.In these cases,26 were normal and the other one was chronic inflammation.The result shows that the secreting substances of the similar mucous cells are quite different in histochemistry,even in the same specimen,the mucous substances were various. Therefore,it is thought that there are some limits in using the morphologic classification in salivary glands.It is not exactly correct to think the parotid as a pure serous gland because there are a few mucus substances in the parotid secreting cells.On the other hand,when there is a chronic inflammation of salivary gland,the ductal mucous cells were hyperplasia, and the mucus from the duct mucous cells was not only increased in quantity but also changed in its quality.

Key words: salivary, mucus, histochemistry