What is saltpeter used for and is it true it reduces certain "carnal ...

The second part of the question is easy to answer. "Saltpetre," (the term refers either to potassium or sodium nitrate) has no effect on carnal urges. The story that this chemical was put into soldiers' food to decrease their sex drive is a total myth. Now on to the more serious aspects of saltpeter. One of the most deadly substances known to mankind is produced by Clostridium botulinum ...

Saltpeter as an anaphrodisiac. Where did this myth originate?

Saltpeter accrued many other magical qualities as it became a standard ingredient in various anti-aphrodisiac nostrums. So it started out as a cure for love potions, and the belief metastasized from there. Ref: Rich, GW & Jacobs, DF. (1973). Saltpeter: A Folkloric Adjustmentto Acculturation Stress. Western Folklore, 32(3): 164-179.

Saltpeter to curb sexual urges an urban legend

I wonder if that is true and, if so, whether there is any connection to saltpeter and prostate problems. A: The belief that saltpeter (potassium nitrate) will reduce sex drive is an urban legend ...

Does The Military Really Use Saltpeter To Kill Troops' Libidos?

It is a longstanding rumor across the services that the sudden onset of impotence experienced by new enlistees is a result of being drugged with potassium nitrate, more commonly known as ...

People's Pharmacy: Is there a connection between saltpeter and low ...

A: Saltpeter is a common name for potassium nitrate. It is used as a preservative in cured meat and an ingredient in toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Many decades ago, doctors prescribed potassium ...

Saltpeter in the Military - Snopes.com

Graedon, Joe and Teresa Graedon. "Saltpeter Helps Houseplants." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 23 March 1993 (Everyday Magazine; p. D3). Green, H. Gordon. "Aphrodisiac or Just a Nutty Theory?" The ...

Saltpeter for sex drives, and the urban legend of the military's libido ...

The compound is also "a common term for potassium nitrate," according to Culinary Lore.. "It is used to preserve meat, temper steel, and to make gunpowder and fireworks."

The Long, Strange Quest to Find a Substance that Kills Sexual Desire

Unlike saltpeter, potassium bromide would work to reduce anyone's sex drive. ... But recently, anti-aphrodisiacs have started being tested in a systematic way — and there are a few things that ...

Burning Question: Does the military try to suppress the sex drive of ...

A look at those age-old saltpeter rumors. June 15, 2010 It's a rumor that dates back decades: To keep the sexual appetites of recruits in check so they can focus on basic training, the military ...