5. The Healing Waters
First reported in 1856 by eminent physician of the day Dr. Jonathan Winters, the fifth myth centres on the lake’s amazing healing qualities. Patients who washed in the lake’s waters showed amazing healings from several diseases, he noted. The most famous example concerned a small child with an apparently terminal condition who recovered totally after three days of lake swimming. Unusual mineral compositions detected in the water by chemical analysis have included rare trace elements absent in other bodies of water. Modern medical scientists have found various unusual microbes in the lake that generate molecules with possible medicinal uses. People from all around the world looking for cure from different ailments have drawn to the lake because of its therapeutic reputation. Although the scientific community is still split on the precise mechanism behind these healing powers, a 2010 shore-based research centre has recorded hundreds of examples of unanticipated recoveries. Studies have indicated that the mineral composition of the water varies with the seasons; it peaks at the spring equinox. Although several pharmaceutical companies have tried to synthesise its special qualities, none have been able to recreate its healing powers in laboratory circumstances. Local wellness centres have included the lake water into several treatments.