Children enjoy the taste of Scott & Bowne's Palatable Castor Oil so much that they ask for more. Visual motif: Shows a child receiving a spoonful of castor oil from his mother; another child anxiously awaits her turn. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized castor oil as "generally recognized as safe and effective" (GRASE) for over-the-counter use as a laxative. It is not a preferred treatment, because it can produce painful cramps, fecal incontinence and explosive diarrhea. Its action can go on for hours, sometimes unpredictably and powerfully causing an involuntary bowel movement at inconvenient locations and during sleep.