Klarinet Archive - Posting 000702.txt from 1997/03

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: Water vs Saliva for wetting reeds (fwd)
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 10:51:55 -0500

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 08:41:14 -0600
From: Andrew Michael Schmidt <schmi056%maroon.tc.umn.edu@-----.UK>
Subject: Water vs Saliva for wetting reeds

I recently subscribed to this list and was fascinated with the discussions. One
that caught my eye was the commentary about what liquid to use for wetting
reeds.

One person made the observation that his dentist suggested that saliva was more
acidic than tap water and this caused the premature breakdown of the reed.

Being a scientist, and also a beginning clarinet player, I recalled from my
biology that most biological systems are at a neutral pH. I also recalled that,
after one eats, their saliva becomes acidic.

So I measured the pH of both my saliva and the tap water. I had not eaten for
about 3 hours.

The pH of the tap water was 5.5 (acidic) and my saliva was at a pH of 7.2
(slightly basic, pH 7.0 being neutral). Acicidity doen't seem to be part of the
problem with premature breakdown of a reed, as saliva is not acidic - it is very
close to being neutral. I did check the pH of three other people who made the
mistake of walking into my work area. Their saliva was also neutral. The tap
water was very acidic in comparison. The pH of tap water probably will vary with
location.

In addition, humans do not have enzymes anywhere in their bodies that can digest
wood fibers.

I don't know if this information is of any practical use for anyone. Perhaps the
life of a reed can be affected more by how it is being stored after being used
than by how it is being wetted before use.

Public water supplies in England are conventionally deliberately given a
pH of >7 - sometimes considerably > - by adding slaked lime; some common
nasty bacteria
(including, I think, E. coli varieties) cannot be easily detected in
acidic water. It also keeps the free chlorine level down. I shudder to
think what Oxford tap water would taste like with even *more* free
chlorine in it.
The mineral content of tap water also varies wildly. How these things
affect reeds, I don't know - quite probably, nobody does.
Roger Shilcock