Revelation and Declaration of Basilius Valentinus

one must understand. One considers Feather Alum a crystalline sulfate mineral to be a SALT, as it truly is, and it can be associated with the SALT of MARS Iron: which aluminous SALT is of a non-fusible nature, just like that of MARS. Vitriol, on the contrary, although it has a SALT in itself in small quantity, it is nonetheless fusible and open; that is why its SALT cannot give such great coagulation to the METAL to which it symbolizes, as the other SALTS do. And notwithstanding that all SALTS of the METALS proceed from one and the same root and seed, one must nevertheless observe a difference in their three first principles Sulfur, Mercury, and Salt, just as one herb differs from another, and one animal from another animal, whose qualities and properties have much dissimilarity.

The SOUL or TINCTURE of SATURN Lead is of a sweeter quality than that of JUPITER Tin, and one finds almost nothing so sweet if one makes a separation of the pure parts from the impure, so that one may perform much more perfect operations with them. Furthermore, this SPIRIT or TINCTURE, commonly called SALT OF SATURN, is of a very cold and dry nature. That is why I advise married persons not to make much use of it, for it cools human nature too much and prevents their seed from being able to perform its ordinary operations.