Salt to kill fleas? What about lice?

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I know that in the local media there was a segment discussing one elementary school that had an outbreak of lice. It was said that several of the students didn't see a result from chemical products. This morning I was reading Read Made magazine and saw an reader's tip on using salt in the carpet for fleas.

What the reader recommended was to use (normal) salt and spread it evenly onto the carpet and let it sit. The fleas will start jumping up from the carpet as the salt hits them. The reasoning was it salt on fleas act like salt on slugs by drawing the moisture out of their body which kills the slugs and fleas. The reader tip stated that you leave the salt in the carpet as long as it takes to kill them and repeat as necessary.

So this has me wondering... would it work on lice? Now I don't want to have to find out if it does. But wonder has anyone here ever had to treat lice and found the chemical products not to work? Would this work on lice as it does on slugs and fleas?

I'm thinking that using a finely milled salt, like a powder maybe, would work. Powder salt can be made either in a food processor or in a zip-loc bag with a rolling pin. Sprinkle enough salt on the hair and make sure it gets to the scalp. Leave on for maybe the same amount of time you would a chemical treatment then wash out with hot water. Repeat as necessary until the lice and nits are dead.

What do you think? Would it work?