Non-linearity/saturable inductor as a switch?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jolyon Vater Cox by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jolyon-at-vatercox.freeserve.co.uk>

Could not in theory a saturable inductor be used as a voltage-triggered 
switch in a TC in place of a spark gap -or would it be just too slow?

What would be the effect of the change in reactance of the saturable 
element on the frequency of the tank circuit?