It is understood that castor oil is a triglyceride of fatty acids. “In castor seeds, its content is 35% ~ 57.%.” Castor oil is obtained by squeezing or solvent extraction. It is almost colorless or slightly yellow, clear and viscous liquid; slight odor; light taste and then slightly pungent, in ethanol It is easily soluble and can be mixed with absolute ethanol, chloroform, ether or glacial acetic acid.
Castor oil has countless benefits in traditional medicine. In addition to relieving constipation, it is also used to treat skin burns and sunburns. , cuts and scrapes, and skin diseases. The ricinoleic acid it contains inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It relieves pain and inflammation associated with infections. Ricinoleic acid, oleic acid And linoleic acid ingredients help relieve rheumatism, arthritis and gout. In addition, castor oil is also effective in treating warts. Applying it to the affected area every day and then gently massaging it can help clear this skin disease.
The following is the record of the use of castor oil in ancient traditional medicine:
1. To treat hemiplegia, aphonia and muteness: 1 liter of castor oil. Take a bucket of wine, put it in a copper bowl, put the fat in the wine, boil it for one day, and then drink it. (“Qianjin Prescription”)
2. To treat bleeding on the tongue: roll castor beans into oil paper and burn them Smoke in the nose. (“Zhao Yuan Prescription”)
3. To treat bloated tongue and mouth congestion: 40 castor seeds, peeled and grinded into oil, spread on paper, made into twists, burned and smoked , if it does not subside, smoke it again until it heals. Some people had tongue swelling outside the mouth, and one person healed it by using this method. (“Empirical Prescriptions”)
4. Treat burns: 3~5% bleaching powder can be applied upwards Mix equal amounts of liquid and castor oil to form an emulsion. Apply to the affected area and change the dressing every other day. (“Selected Exhibitions·Surgery”