In my post on simulacra castorum (Beaver Statues) I expressed some wonder about whether the legend about the medicinal value of the beaver’s testicles was the source of the name “castor oil.” Well, my brother (the brother) and I did some Wiki-research on this issue.

Here comes the science:

1. “Castor oil” comes from the castor bean.
2. The castor bean comes from the castor oil plant, which is technically called Ricinus communis.
3. The reason that the plant is called the “castor oil plant” is that the oil from its beans was used as a replacement for … you guessed it: castoreum, which is a glandular secretion of the beaver, to put it diplomatically.

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