The New Student's Reference Work/Castor-Oil
Castor-Oil, a familiar and simple purgative, derived from the seeds of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus Communis), a native of the Indies. Used as a laxative, it has a nauseous smell and disagreeable taste, which can, however, be partially overcome by using it in capsules of gelatin or by floating the oil on hot coffee. It is considerably used in the arts as a lubricant for machinery, while in the East Indies it is employed as an illuminant as a lamp-oil.