A medicinal paste containing castoreum, shrimp, red velvet mites and the like

Question

Question: Is it permissible to eat a medicinal paste (electuary) into which castoreum, or shrimp, or earthworms, or red velvet mites have been put, or not? Please write the answer with the texts of the books and with references, so that it is easy to consult them. In Bihishti Zewar (“Heavenly Ornaments”), part eleven, p. 130, printed by Firoz Printing Works, a recipe is written that contains castoreum and shrimp; from this it appears that it is permissible.

Answer

In Bihishti Zewar, part eleven, known as Bihishti Gawhar (“The Heavenly Pearl”), printed at the Mujtaba’i Press, Delhi, p. 149, this recipe is written; but in its margin it is written that eating castoreum is not permissible, and that instead of it one should put processed nux vomica and calcined iron — four ratti (a small unit of weight, ≈ 0.12 g)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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