Revelation and Declaration of Basilius Valentinus

It is also not useful for the SPLEEN and for the BLADDER, for it causes of itself much phlegm, which engenders a great melancholy in men. For SATURN is an extremely melancholic governor, seeing that he greatly increases the atrabilious black bile humor in man. But when one makes use of his SPIRIT, then one melancholic spirit attracts the other, and the man is healed of the influence of his melancholy. The SALT OR SOUL of SATURN heals all wounds externally, whether they be old or new, and caused by cuts, injuries, or other natural accidents; which no other METAL could almost do. It is also a great refrigerant for hot tumors of the limbs, and it has the property of eating away flesh that is corrupted and rotten; and it serves as a good foundation for curing all internal accidents and diseases, mainly those arising from hot causes or inflammations. As, on the contrary, the Noble VENUS Copper does wonders for other diseases because she is of a hot quality, whereas SATURN is found to be cold. There are also different qualities between the SUN and the MOON, because the MOON is smaller than the SUN, and it comprises within the measure of its circle only the eighth part of the magnitude of the SUN.