MOROCCO 



3954 



MORPHINE 



ished. Taxes were arbitrarily imposed and 

 ruthlessly collected. The system of just ice was 

 deplorable. Now however, France, hoping to 

 incorporate Morocco in her vast African Km- 

 pire, has established a pi over most 



of the country, and has induced the sultan to 

 countenance certain administrative and finan- 

 cial reforms. A military police with French 

 officers has been organized. Germany and 

 for a time opposed French domination, 

 but in 1911 Germany abandoned her claims in 

 return for the cession of a part of French 

 Congo, and Spain has been given a protectorate 

 over the Mediterranean coast. A space of 140 

 square miles about Tangier, the port opoosite 

 Gibraltar, is internationalized. 



History. Morocco in ancient times formed 

 part of the Roman province of Mauretania, and 

 when Rome's power declined, it experienced 

 the vicissitudes of the other African provinces. 

 It was overrun by the Arabs in 682, reduced to 

 submission and forced to adopt the Moham- 

 medan religion. The chief dynasties in the cen- 

 :hat followed were the Almoravides and 

 the Almohades. It participated in the conquest 

 of Spain, and during the latter part of the 

 Middle Ages, when the Moorish power began 

 to weaken, it was largely from Morocco that 

 fresh contingents were drawn for service in 

 Spain. When the Moors were finally driven 

 from Spain after the fall of Granada in 1492, 

 many of them settled in Morocco. In 1814 the 

 slavery of Christians was abolished, and the 

 piracy which had led to constant friction with 

 European powers was prohibited three years 

 later. The invasion of Spanish territory by 

 lawless bands resulted in a war with Spain in 

 1859. By the terms of peace Morocco lost ter- 

 ritory and was forced to pay an indemnity of 

 $20,000,000. 



Consult Finnemore's Morocco; Edwards' The 

 Barbary Coast. 



|{-i:it< (I Subject*. The reader Is referred to 

 the following articles In these volumes: 

 Arabs Moors 



Barbary States Morocco 



Berbers Sultan 



Fez Tangier 



MOROCCO, a city of North Africa, ninety 

 miles from the Atlantic coast and 250 miles 

 southwest of Fez, formerly a prosperous seat 

 of Mohammedan learning. It is one of the 

 capitals of the country of Morocco, and is 

 favorably situated on an elevated plain about 

 1,500 feet above sea level, but there is little 

 evidence of its former glory. A crumbling wall 



about seven and one-half miles in length en- 

 closes a city of narrow, crooked, dirty streets 

 and shabby, one-story buildings, and though 

 there are numerous gardens, open spaces and 

 market places, the general aspect is one of 

 dilapidation and extreme neglect. The Kutu- 

 bia Mosque, one of nineteen Mohammedan 

 churches, is almost the only stone building in 

 the city. Another prominent structure is the 

 Imperial Palace of the sultan, the buildings of 

 which cover an area of 180 acres, encircled by 

 a wall. 



The manufacture of Morocco leather, for- 

 merly of much greater importance than now. is 

 the only industry of note. Of the population, 

 variously estimated at 50,000 to 75,000, a large 

 number are Jews. There are not more than 

 500 European residents. Morocco was founded 

 in the eleventh century, reaching the height of 

 its prosperity about 1400. It then had a popu- 

 lation of about 700,000. Civil wars and rebel- 

 lions caused its decline, and its people are still 

 turbulent and unruly. 



MOROCCO, a clioice variety of dressed 

 leather, made from the skins of goats, and pro- 

 duced originally by the Moors in Southern 

 Spain and Morocco, whence its name. From 

 those districts the industry spread to the Le- 

 vant, Turkey and the countries in North Africa 

 bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. The 

 characteristic qualities of genuine morocco are 

 its elasticity, softness, fineness of grain and 

 texture. Imitation morocco is now prepared 

 successfully from the skins of calves and sheep, 

 and is used in binding books, upholstering fur- 

 niture and making fine shoes. See LEATHER. 



MORPHEUS, mawr'jcus, in classic mythol- 

 ogy, the name bestowed upon a minister of 

 Somnus, more familiarly called the god of 

 sleep. Jle is represented as an aged man with 

 wings, pouring a vaporous narcotic from a horn. 



MORPHINE, ?nawr'fin, or mawr'jeen, a pow- 

 erful and dangerous drug, in commercial form 

 appearing in white, crystalline grains. Taken 

 in small doses it will relieve pain; physicians 

 occasionally prescribe very small quantities to 

 induce sleep. Large doses are apt to produce 

 unconsciousness or convulsions and sometimes 

 result fatally. It must not be taken except 

 upon expert medical advice, as a habit is easily 

 formed which is exceedingly dangerous and 

 difficult to overcome. Frequent use of the nar- 

 cotic may cause loss of flesh and color, a weak- 

 ened memory and a lowered moral standard. 

 Recovery from the deadly effects of the drug 

 is slow and tedious, but it is possible in time 



