Medicinal Uses of Castor Oil
Castor Oil Plant: Sources of Information: The Reader’s Digest ‘Magic and Medicine of Plants’, Published in 1994, Surrey Hills NSW and John Lust’s herbal, entitled ‘The Herb Book’. (publisher etc to be given)
The Castor oil Plant, ‘Palma Christi’.
The Castor Oil Plant has been known for centuries as the ‘Palma Christi’, the Palm of Christ. This gives an indication of just how highly the plant has been regarded over many centuries.
Its botanical names are: Ricinus communis L., and it belongs to the Spurge Family, a Euphorbiaceae. It is native to India and parts of the Mediterranean, but now grows in many parts of the world.
Castor Oil plant, the Palma Christi, has a long history: The seeds of the plant have been found in some ancient Egyptian tombs which date back 4000 years, according to the Reader’s Digest herbal. Dioscorides and Pliny in their writings which are almost 2000 years old, both mention the therapeutic aspects of the castor oil plant as a purgative oil and laxative.
The Castor Oil Plant grows in Australia and New Zealand as a free-range weed. You can find it in many overgrown gardens and along the banks of railway lines. These days, though, it is becoming harder to find, because councils, farmers and householders often use dire methods of weed eradication which are eliminating many varieties of plants from our botanical lists. Big weed-cutters are used along banks to eradicate weeds, and herbicides are used by many people: these practices are causing many medicinal ‘weeds’ to become scarce.
Castor Oil is pressed out from the seeds of the plant. The oil is not poisonous, but the seeds and leaves of the plant are poisonous. So you must never use castor oil leaf or seeds to make your own remedies for internal use. The leaves, however, can be used externally in poultices which can be laid on the body.
Castor oil, which you can buy in most supermarkets, health shops and chemist shops or drug stores, comes from Brazil, India, and other places where it is farmed commercially.
In Medicines: Castor oil is a valuable vegetable agent which is used in ayurvedic medicine, some orthodox medicines, and cosmetics, especially lip-sticks and eye-cosmetics.
For Intestines: It is famous for its laxative effect and as a remedy for constipation.It cleanses the intestines of old debris.
Liver and Gall Bladder: It benefits the liver and gall bladder. Castor oil removes toxins from the liver, helps eliminate stale bile, and helps to dissolve gall stones.
Eyes: Castor oil benefits the eyes, and so castor oil is found in some eye medications. Castor oil is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for some eye diseases, such as cataract if it is caught in the early stages.
Castor Oil benefits hair growth when applied externally, and taken internally on a regular basis, such as in the Gerson Cancer Therapy. Castor Oil can be applied once a week to thinning hair, or to baby’s scalp to encourage hair growth. Leave it on for several hours, or overnight, then wash out with good quality natural soap.
Ricinoleic acid is the active ingredient of castor oil. Ricinoleic acid is the purgative agent. This is used in some contraceptive jellies, creams and foams. Castor oil, because of its ricinoleic acid content, is also used in industry to make things like nylon and linoleum.
In Africa and parts of Europe, castor oil leaves have been used as an external application on the breasts to increase lactation.
Castor Oil is a valuable healing oil, both externally and internally. It has been used by many alternative cancer therapists, such as Dr Max Gerson, Walter Last and Dr Ann Wigmore. Jacqui Davison wrote a book on how she recovered from cancer using castor oil therapy, which she learned about from the writings of Dr Gerson.
Gerson Castor oil Treatment For Cancer: This therapy can be used to treat many degenerative diseases, not just cancer. Dr Gerson devised a treatment which included the use of castor oil. The dose of castor oil was 2 tablespoonsful every second day. Castor oil is a powerful detoxifier, which makes it a very good medicine for cancer patients. It cleans out the liver, gall bladder, and intestines. It has the ability to draw out poisons from other parts of the body, including the site of tumours. However, to do this treatment, you need professional advice and much preparation and determination. The Gerson Castor Oil Therapy is very hard work, but it has saved the lives of many people.
Castor oil is an integral part of the treatment which Dr Gerson used. Other essential aspects of the regime were: daily enemas; porridge for breakfast, eaten with one raw, grated apple; High Vitamin C intake: fresh vegetable and fruit juices every hour; salads at every meal. Extra Vitamin C was given, and vitamin C was also combined with 2 aspirin for a ‘natural’ pain relief.