Save us from ourselves, Part Deux: We all know the French don't bathe and don't have air conditioning, which begs the question over whether it's the heat or the odor that is killing them off so quickly. Well, this can't help either:

One factor common to the victims was a lack of air conditioning, which is less common in Europe than in the United States. But the problem was aggravated by the practice, at least in France, Italy and Spain, of shutting down parts of hospitals while doctors and staff take August vacations. The director of the big Saint-Louis Hospital, in Paris's 10th Arrondissement, Jean-Patrick Lajonchère, told the daily Le Monde that 35 percent of the hospital's capacity had been closed because of the summer break.

Yup, the Europeans are sooo civilized with all their vacation time. All that work will make you sick, you know.