DAKAR — WHITTLESEY 399 



ments of the district — all have been dependent on the dunes for 

 their water. 



Water from the city supply is available for irrigating market 

 gardens at M'Bao, Ouakam, and the outskirts of Dakar. These 

 settlements and Tiaroye are served by hydrants in the streets. In 

 Dakar itself water may also be laid on in buildings. The port is 

 supplied through a separate pressure line, with a reservoir holding 

 3,600 cubic meters, a 5-day supply. In the high part of the city 

 are six reservoirs for city and suburbs, with a capacity of 7,400 cubic 

 meters, a 2-day supply.^^ 



Potable water is too precious to use for fire hydrants or for flushing 

 streets and sewers. These services are provided by water pumped 

 from Bernard Cove into a reservoir holding 3,000 cubic meters (fig. 

 3) . Regular flushing of the streets sweeps out the larvae of mosquitoes 

 along with dirt and so renders a twofold health service. 



The sewer system is integral with the water system. It includes- 

 special collectors for storm waters. Public latrines are distributed 

 throughout the municipality, and at least four public shower baths 

 are available. The African population take full advantage of oppor- 

 tunities to bathe and to wash their garments, whether in buildings 

 provided for the purpose or at street hydrants or in the harbor or 

 other calm waters. As elsewhere in tropical Africa, the indigenes 

 need no coercion to bathe. Garbage and other waste is collected twice 

 a day and burned in a city incinerator. 



As in every other tropical African center, there are separate hos- 

 pitals for Europeans and Africans. Specialization has extended to 

 include hospitals for the military and civilians, a maternity hospital 

 for Africans, and, far out on Cape Manuel, a leprosery. Numerous 

 clinics are distributed over the city and suburbs. The medical service 

 is capped by a school of medicine. 



SEGREGATION AND POPULATION 



All these sanitary measures would have been less effective if steps had 

 not already been taken to segregate the European inhabitants from the 

 African. Much of the increase in population has been freshly re- 

 cruited from the bush. These indigenes, and even a good many who 

 have been long exposed to European sanitary practices, live without 

 regard for standards necessary in urban agglomerations. Thereby 

 they menace the health of their neighbors, particularly Europeans, who 

 are less immune to tropical diseases than Africans. In the commingled 

 community of Dakar occasional epidemics of yellow fever have taken 

 heavy toll of both races. Less spectacular but more serious have been 



" Georges Peter, L'effort fransais au S6n6gal, pp. 32],-322. Paris, 1933. 



