Papago Indians

Bringing matters somewhat more up to date, it may be mentioned that the Papago Indians of the American Southwest and northwestern Mexico were reported by Joseph G. Lee, M.D., to have a rabies cure. The cure, interestingly, also involved rue. Thus, Dr. Lee, in an article titled Navajo Medicine Man in the August 1961 issue of Arizona Highways, describes rue as a Navajo remedy for rabies. Another is said to be dog lichen, Peltigear canina, which received its name as a folkloric cure for rabies. Nevertheless, most of us would no doubt prefer a modem version of the Pasteur treatment. 

As previously mentioned, in an article in the August 1961 issue of Arizona Highways, Dr. Joseph G. Lee described the use of rue against rabies by the Papago Indians. Dr. Lee in turn speaks of a rapport between the Indian medicine man and... 

As for rue (Ruta graveolens, family Rutaceae), no mention of it is made in the Foster and Johnson reference. As has been noted in Chapter 1, it is loaded with toxic alkaloids, although it is said to have been used by the Papago Indians as a cure against rabies. 

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