Since earliest colonial times, the waters of Shallotte Inlet have had a reputation for remarkable healing powers. According to Charles Harry Whedbee, many local residents claim the inlet is the famous stream of Indian legend `where infections, fevers, and vapors were cured simply by bathing in its magical waters.’
Apparently, miraculous cures are so numerous that men of modern medicine do not doubt the waters’ healing qualities. Many longtime residents can tell of several family members who were cured after bathing in the inlet.
Whedbee states that a reed peculiar to Shallotte Inlet may well hold the answer to the waters’ curative qualities. A bread-like substance in the center of the reed seems to grow a penicillin-like mold when wetted by salt water. The next incoming tide washes the mold off. The resulting `milky water’ seems to have been present during most of the miraculous cures.
The healing powers of Shallotte Inlet are seemingly as much a matter of fact as of legend. If you have been looking for a personal fountain of youth, try the waters of Shallotte Inlet, but watch out for the current.
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