The accepted cure during the era of the early sages for a man infected with rabies by the bite of an infected dog was to eat the meat of the infected dog’s liver. Since dog’s liver is a forbidden food by Torah law, the early sages disagreed about whether, to save a life, one may eat this forbidden food. According to the sages, since eating the dog’s flesh was not proven as effective against rabies, one is forbidden to eat it, but according to one sage, Matya son of Charash, one is permitted to eat the dog’s liver. What are the signs of a rabies-infected dog? His mouth is open, he drools, his ears droop, his tail lies between his legs, and he walks along the side of the road; some say he barks soundlessly. The scholars asked: What causes rabies? Answer: According to one sage, Rav, witches practice their sorcery on dogs and that causes the dog to become infected. According to another sage, Shmuel, an evil spirit rests upon the dog. The scholars went on to ask: What is the difference between the two causes listed? Answer: The difference is the manner in which it is proper to kill the dog! According to the sage who blames witches, one may kill the dog even by touch, while according to the sage who blames an evil spirit, one must not touch the dog, but kill it with a knife or an arrow. One who comes into contact with a rabid dog places himself in danger, and one bitten by a rabid dog will die. If a person touches a rabid dog, how can he be cured? Answer: He should remove his clothing and run. An incident occurred to Rav Huna, who touched a rabid dog, took off his clothing, and ran; thus was he saved from infection. What cure is there for one bitten by a rabid dog? Answer: He should take the skin of a male hyena and write upon it “I, so and so the son of so and so write upon the skin of a male hyena kanti kanti kilrus. Lord, Lord, Lord of the Hosts, amen, amen, selah.” Some say instead of kanti one should write kandi. Afterwards he should roll up the hyena skin and put it in a brass tube and bury it in the cemetery for a year. During this year he should drink water only from a brass tube, lest he see the shadow of a demon and be placed into more danger, as did the mother of the sage Abba son of Marta, who was bitten by a rabid dog. At the end of the year he should exhume the brass tube in which the hyena skin is rolled up and burn it in an oven until it turns to ash, which he should scatter in the wind at the cross roads.
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 83a-84a)