A Case of Continental Heat Prostration

In Paris, the satirical weekly Canard Enchaine last week suggested the title for a new and presumably sweaty exploitation film, Histoire d'Eau, showing that even the French can occasionally find sex of less compelling interest than water. Players briefly fled the British Open when brushfires broke out at the Royal Birkdale Golf Course. In Switzerland, thousands of fish were dying, officials said, because of oxygen depletion in their normal swimming grounds. Hordes of European citizens knew what the fish were going through: not only had the temperature got out of hand, but some British officials were worried about the increase of ozone levels in the air over London and other cities.

It was one of the worst droughts of the century in Western Europe. For at least three weeks and up to six weeks in some hard-hit areas, virtually no rain fell in northern parts; and though by week's end a few droplets had sprinkled on Britain, France and Germany--Denmark by contrast enjoyed a heaven-sent downpour--it seemed likely that the damage done would be felt for months. A variety of crops were ruined, and the death toll from heat prostration ran into the hundreds.

The temperatures that produced such a disaster were merely in the mid-90s. But average June and July temperatures in Western Europe are usually much lower, and air-conditioning--an innovation that some Americans rank with the discovery of the Salk vaccine --is relatively unknown.

Europe is likely to be on short water rations for the rest of the summer. In France, the government ordered 440 miles of the country's canal system shut down so that the water could be diverted to parched farms. Water levels in the Rhine and Danube rivers have declined so much that ships plying them can carry only half their normal loads.

Consumers will continue to be burned long after the heat wave is over. Feed for livestock has virtually disappeared in Europe--French dairymen have been feeding surplus bananas to their cattle--and the scarcity will lead to early slaughter of herds and meat shortages later on.

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