While castor oil may not be appetizing it just might be an effective form of treatment. After all, if great-grandma swore by it and she used it as often as she said, there just might be something to this “wonder drug.” Decide for yourself if this is something you can't live without while living off the grid and preparing for SHTF:

Indigestion and dysentery were very common in pioneer times, often due to poor food quality or cleanliness. Again, it was castor oil to the rescue.
Castor oil also has an interesting property in that it doesn’t freeze. That made it valuable to keep around in the winter months, as it could be used to oil sticky or frozen machinery parts.
This oil has a stimulating effect on the body. New mothers who had a difficult time producing enough milk for their baby were often told to rub castor oil on the breasts to increase milk flow. This same remedy was also suggested for sore breasts and blocked milk ducts. If a baby was late in coming, a few tablespoons of castor oil were the general recommendation to induce labor. Although there is no scientific evidence to back this up, there are plenty of personal stories which relate that folk remedy actually worked.
Midwives and other women also suggested that rubbing castor oil on the abdomen each morning and night would relieve menstrual cramps.
Castor oil is also known for improving skin health. Pioneer women used it for everything from preventing stretch marks to healing diaper rash, as well as other types of skin problems, including killing lice, preventing hair loss, and stopping dandruff. Since castor oil does contain antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal compounds, it is very likely that this can work quite well.
One pioneer woman left some advice for those preparing to travel out West: “No one should travel without medicine, for they are sure to suffer from a complaint. Every family should have a quart of the best rum, a quart of castor oil, and a large vial of peppermint essence.”

Sounds to us like castor oil might still be considered a wonder tonic, even if only in the minds of our pioneer ancestors! Still, they were the ones working with it back then and if it appeared to work why scoff at the results?

To learn more about castor oil and the castor plant go to Off the Grid News. Growing your own may not be as easy as one may think but, if you have small children, you may just want to stock up on the oil itself.

Remember, there can be serious consequences if you castor seeds, before preparation, end up in little hands!