From museum.gov:
"TYPICAL POISONING SCENARIO:
Accidental consumption quantities of seeds or products containing castor oil by livestock or children. Aside from their use in lubricants, soaps & varnishes, Castor Beans are often seen in jewellery from the Caribbean; children are sometimes poisoned by sucking or eating beads made from the beans. Another possible cause of poisoning is an overdose of castor-oil based laxative, especially amongst persons who mistakenly equate absolutely regular bowel habits with good health. Please warn great uncle Oliver to go easy on that stuff, OK?"
Thanks for replying.
But is the poisoning due to ricin? If yes, then ricin should have been a pretty common murder weapon. If not, then there is something about it that makes it difficult to be manufactured/procured by the common criminal.