Why did some nostrum sellers use bitter herbs, salt, or sulfur in their preparations?

Some sellers of nostrums used bitter-tasting herbs, vegetables, common salt, or sulfur in their preparations as a deceptive tactic to mimic the characteristics of legitimate medicine. When these purveyors did not include actual potent drugs in their concoctions, they relied on these ingredients to provide a strong, unpleasant taste that consumers might associate with therapeutic efficacy.1

By utilizing these substances, charlatans could create the illusion of a powerful remedy, exploiting the public's lack of information and their desire for a cure. This practice was part of a broader pattern of quackery, where individuals made exaggerated or false claims about their products for financial gain, often targeting those suffering from serious or chronic conditions.1