Taking gum out of your hair
Cooking oil. Like Crisco.
Yes, solid Crisco can be used. Not Crisco oil.
Yes, melted and cooled Crisco can be used in place of vegetable oil.
Shortening is the fat or oil used in cooking. It can range from lard to olive oil, depending on the recipe.
can be used as a poultice or wound dressing
Yes. For a detailed discussion, read The Joy of Cooking or Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking.
Cooking
Yes. As per the Wikipedia article on Crisco: "As of 2012, Crisco consists of a blend of soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and partially hydrogenated palm and soybean oils. According to the product information label, one 12 g serving of Crisco contains 3 g of saturated fat, 0 g of trans fat, 6 g of polyunsaturated fat, and 2.5 g of monounsaturated fat.[4] It is claimed that this reformulated Crisco has the same cooking properties and flavor as the original version of the product."
Absolutely, in fact, there are entire diets based solely off of crisco shortening. Crisco does not contain certain nutrients so vitamin pills are advised. Over consumption of crisco can lead to large fat deposits in the lower back.
I have a family recipe for Plum Pudding that goes back several generations and I have always substituted Crisco for the suet with no problems.
Six pound can of crisco
Crisco was initially, and still is, used as an alternative to regular shortenings such as butter and lard. A recipe calling for Crisco in baking should respond perfectly well to the use of identical quantities of butter, which will also give an excellent flavour.