510 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 269. 



THE EMPEEOB OF MOROCCO PENSIONED BY 

 ENGLAND. 



(Vol. X., p. 342.) 

 Miirht I inform your correspondent Mr. Wat- 

 XEN that the Emperor of Morocco could hardly 

 be considered a pensioner of England, when 

 the amounts mentioned by him were doubtless 

 given for two important considerations : firstly, 

 for the liberation of English captives; and se- 

 condly, for the protection of British trade. 

 England was not alone in paying tribute to 

 tliis monarch for the safety of her commerce in 

 this sea. Other European powers pursued the 

 same policy. An annual gift of a few hundred 

 pounds procured that protection for the navigation 

 of British ships in the Mediterranean, which a 

 war might not have effected. Hence the tribute 

 paid by Christians to a chief of Corsairs. Nearly 

 a century after the period mentioned by Mr. 

 Watlen, America was obliged to conciliate by 

 her gifts, not an Emperor of Morocco, but a Dey 

 of Algiers. On the 8th of May, 1792, the Presi- 

 dent of the United States was authorised by the 

 senate to make a treaty with this power, and a 

 sum of 8000Z. was voted to be paid when the seals 

 were affixed to it, as also 5000Z. annually, to be 

 paid while it remained unbroken. At the same 

 time an amount of 8000Z. was voted for the libera- 

 tion of thirteen American citizens who were held 

 in captivity. This yearly tribute was paid for 

 twenty-three years. On the 3rd of March, 1815, 

 America declared war against Algiers, caused by 

 an insult offered by the Dey to the Consul-Ge- 

 Tieral of the United States, and also by his de- 

 claration that not for "two millions of dollars 

 would he sell his American slaves," — an exor- 

 bitant sum, when there were only twelve persons 

 whom he held in confinement. While hostilities 

 continued, an Algerine frigate of 46 guns and 

 436 men, and a brig of 22 guns and 180 men, were 

 captured. The admiral Rais Hammida, who was 

 supposed to have been a Scotchman by birth, and 

 of the name of Lyle, fell in an engagement, as 

 did thirty of his crew, whose bodies were thrown 

 into the sea. On the 30th June, 1815, "a treaty 

 of peace was concluded with the Dey of Algiers, 

 dictated by Commodore Decatur, in which it was 

 stipulated that no presents or tribute were in future 

 to be paid, and all captives were to be delivered 

 up." These terms were never broken. (Vide 

 Cooper's Naval History of the United States, and 

 Washington National Intelligencer of Oct. 7 th, 

 1854.) W.W. 



Malta. 



DID THE GREEK SURGEONS EXTRACT TEETH ? 



(Vol. x., pp. 242. 355.) 



As this historical inquiry is one which it is im- 

 possible for me to enter into but during a few 

 leisure hours, I am obliged to M. D. for his sug- 

 gestions, which shall be duly attended to. I am 

 sure this discussion has been useful, as it must be 

 confessed that the department of dentistry has 

 been but little attended to, even in the best works 

 on the history of medicine. 



Your correspondent Tristis states that the 

 Greek surgeons not only extracted teeth, but that 

 they also filled with gold those which were de- 

 cayed. 



The same observation, I see, has also been made 

 by Mr. Finney, in Egypt, with regard to the teeth, 

 of mummies. (Vide Medical Times and Gazette, 

 No. 218. p. 248.) Of the way in which the Greek 

 dentists proceeded in these delicate operations 

 (operations requiring greater care and skill than 

 any other operation in dentistry), very little is or 

 can be known ; but the skulls of Egyptians are of 

 course documents which may be examined. In 

 this respect Mr. Finney, or Tristis, may clear up 

 an item of dental surgical skill, by inquiry whe- 

 ther the teeth of mummies which had been filled 

 with gold had been previously prepared for such 

 filling secundum regidam aHis, which I, however, 

 very much doubt. My theory in this respect is 

 the following: — It probably 'happened that the 

 Egyptian dentists took bold of the very simple 

 fact that a hollow carious tooth got filled, during 

 mastication, with a seed of grape or other sinailar 

 fruit, which even often occurs at the present time. 

 As the importation of gold dust from the countries 

 south of Egypt was then carried on as an object 

 of general commerce, it is obvious that some of 

 the grains of gold were well adapted for the pur- 

 pose of filling hollow teeth, without the necessity 

 of melting and flatting, as we now do. Once 

 begun, the experiment was doubtless improved 

 and refined. 



As to filing of decayed teeth, said to occur 

 in Egyptian mummies according to the same au- 

 thority, I am rather doubtful, although of course 

 ready to cede to proof and conviction. Our pre- 

 sent tooth-files are amongst the greatest feats of 

 the modern file-cutter; and I am quite certain 

 that the Egyptian steel manufacturer (!) could 

 hardly be supposed to have produced such minute 

 and delicate files as are required for this operation. 

 If it should be proved that teeth have been really 

 filed, it will turn out that they have been such as 

 stand aloof from each other, and where some slip 

 of hone or slate could be introduced, which in 

 fact is a plan I frequently resort to In preference 

 to the file. George Hates. 



6G. Conduit Street. 



