# Did Mussolini use castor oil as an instrument of torture?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-mussolini-use-castor-oil-as-an-instrument-of-torture/126399>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 31, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-mussolini-use-castor-oil-as-an-instrument-of-torture/126399 "2002-08-31T02:22:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dratman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@Dratman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dratman)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-mussolini-use-castor-oil-as-an-instrument-of-torture/126399/1 "2002-08-31T02:22:29Z")

</div>

(The original column is located at [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4\_028.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_028.html))

This unfortunate use of castor oil is portrayed in Federico Fellini’s wonderful film Amarcord (1973). The dose of castor oil in that case is a full drinking glass and the results are agonizing and humiliating, but not fatal.

Since seeing the film I have mentally compared this kind of punishment with the Gestapo’s tactics in another European facist-dominated country, and concluded that the Italians were simply not cut out to be as nasty as their northern neighbors.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2002, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-mussolini-use-castor-oil-as-an-instrument-of-torture/126399/2 "2002-08-31T15:01:17Z")

</div>

I just wanna say…

EEWWWWWW!!!

Oh, and, welcome to the SDMB. 😃