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Magically speaking, Saltpeter has a long, long, long history in hoodoo as an agent of magical protection in spritual baths and floor washes and as a shoe-sprinkle. Also, because it is an ingredient in Gunpowder, it is used in formulae which are hoped to produce quick (explosive) action, such as Block-Buster.
Finally, note that saltpeter is poisonous and flammable (it's used in pyrotechnics and to burn out dead tree stumps). Sodium nitrite itself can be fatally toxic if a human were to ingest an amount equivalent to 4.6 grams (citing from wikipedia), which again is why they make the curing preparations pink. realize there is another question about corned beef from scratch, but the answers don't really cover my question. Many recipes for making your own corned beef still refer to the use of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or sodium nitrate.