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Cecil replies: The official word is that potassium nitrate (KNO3), more commonly employed as an ingredient in gunpowder, has no therapeutic value as an anaphrodisiac, contrary to legend. Cecil of course believes this. Still, when you look at what the stuff does do, you can see where the idea got started. Saltpeter can cause relaxation of involuntary muscle fiber (for which reason it's used to treat asthma) and it's occasionally prescribed to lower body temperature in cases of fever.
Why don't you sell saltpeter? Saltpeter, the chemical potassium(or sodium) nitrate, is a very combustible ingredient that some incense makers add to their incense to make sure it burns. If you use self-lighting charcoal, it's the stuff that makes the sparkles when you light it.f you use incense for magical purposes, it can also add Martian influences that you might not want in every blend! We prefer to use the art of blending gentler combustible materials, like Sandalwood, Cedar, or Clove, into our cones and sticks to make sure they burn, rather than using saltpeter as a crutch.