Mediterranean–Dead Sea Canal in 1855 in a work called 'The Dead Sea – A new route to India'. At that time it was not yet known that the Dead Sea lies below sea level, and Allen proposed this canal as an alternative to the Suez Canal. Later, many engineers and politicians picked up on the idea, including Theodor Herzl in his 1902 novel "Altneuland". Most of the early proposals used the East bank of the Jordan River, but a modified form, using the West bank, was proposed after the separation of Transjordan from the Palestine Mandate. The idea was discussed at some length
Dead Sea salt minerals and salts. Major ion concentrations in the water of the Dead Sea have given the following results (which do not necessarily reflect those of Dead Sea "salt"): The major minerals present in Dead Sea mud—the result of runoff streams flowing into the Dead Sea and bringing large deposits during the Holocene era—have been shown to be the following: Dead Sea salts have been claimed to treat the following conditions: "Rheumatologic Conditions" – in balneotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation. "Common skin ailments" – for treating skin disorders such