| Description Of Item | A yellow liquid distilled from castor beans, it was believed that cold drawn castor oil, produced by pressing the beans without the use of heat or other chemicals, was of higher quality than regular castor oil. In the nineteenth century, castor oil was diagnosed as a miracle cure for almost every ailment and was often prescribed to help with constipation, heartburn and as a means of inducing labour. Due to its use as a quick-working laxative, castor oil was sometimes used as a humiliating punishment, notably in Fascist Italy when Mussolini’s power was said to be backed by “the bludgeon and castor oil”. In the twenty-first century, castor oil is most often marketed as promoting hair growth and regrowth. |