Health Benefits of Castor Oil plant

Castor Oil Plant

Castor-oil plant is also known by its Latin name, ricinus, which means "mite", and is a persan plant from the Euphorbiaceae family. Other names the herb has are Christ's palm or the tree of the cross.

Description

The castor-oil plant is a herbaceous, annual herb of 1-3 meters in height, with a pivoting, ramified root, erect green or redish stems. The leaves are large. The flowers have a yellowish color. The fruit has the form of a capsule which holds 3 brownish or ash-colored, mottled seeds, rich in oil. The plant blooms from July to September.

Properties

The castor-oil plant seeds contain over 50% fat, 20% proteins, glucides, mineral salts, water, oleic acid, toxalbumine, enzymes and vitamin E. These give the plant laxative and purgative properties, leading to the agglutination of the red cells.

Treatments

   Castor-oil plant is used most often as castor-oil. This exercises a benefitting action on the teguments, both at the epidermis' level and at the derm level.

   Castor-oil is an efficient means of curing warts. The should be massaged for 10-15 minutes with the castor-oil. The treatment is followed 2 times per day, each day, until the warts start dissapearing.

   For irritated mucous membrane and red eyes, 1-2 drops of castor-oil are applied on each eye.

   In case of haemorrhoids, the annointing of the anus with castor-oil or the ingestion of 1-1/2 teaspoons of oil internally is recommended. The same oil is good for treating bruises, cuts, ulcerations or various erruptions of the skin.

   A feather drenched in castor-oil is indicated to be used for annointing the affected areas. In cases of bronchitis and colds, the chest is massaged, using a mixture of 2 tablespoons of castor-oil and one of turpentine. The chest of the patient is rubbed with it, then enfolded in a wool scarf and then dressed in a cotton blouse.

   Castor-oil has a stimulating effect of the growth of eyelashes and eyebrows. Also, it helps in some cases of alopecia and strengthens the roots. The hair roots are massaged with castor-oil. It is applied in the evening before going to sleep. The second day, the hair and the head's skin is washed well. The treatment is made 3 times per week until the wanted result is achieved. For reguilar usage, it is applied 2 times every month.

   To soften the callosities and thick skin, the feet should be rubbed 3 times a week with castor-oil, dressed in cotton socks and left like that for the night.

   Castor-oil is also recommended in treating moles and hepatic pigmentation. The affected areas are rubbed insistently with castor-oil in the evening and in the morning. The effects are visible after about a month.

   For nails which are flaking off or which break off easily, the treatment with castor-oil is recommended. In the evening the oil is applied on the nails and rubbed well for an hour. The treatment should last 2 months.

Mixtures

Castor-oil is fabricated thus: the seeds are harvested at their complete maturity, manually or mechanically. They are dried, decorticated and cold pressed for obtaining the oil.

Warning

The therapeutic castor-oil is not toxic. The toxic effect is only manifested in cases of swallowing seeds which would lead to the coagulation of fibrine, the agglutination of eritrocites, lesions of the blood vessel walls, irritation of the gastro-intestinal mucous, hepatic and renal lesions.