Seyyed Alireza Golshani
1 
, Mohammad Ebrahim Zohalinezhad
2* , Fatemeh Amoozegar
3 , Mojtaba Farjam
4 1 History of Iran after Islam, Department of Persian Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Ardakan, Yazd, Iran
2 Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3 Student Research Committee, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
4 Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
*Corresponding Author: *Corresponding Author: Mohammad Ebrahim Zohalinezhad, Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Tel:+98 917 302 6200. Email: , Email:
zohalinm@sums.ac.ir
Abstract
The Spanish flu spread from September 23, 1918 to 1920. This disease was one of the historical catastrophes in Iran, and a large number of people in Tehran were infected. Evidence also shows that 5000–10000 out of the 250000 infected people died in Tehran over three years. Besides, an increase was detected in the prevalence of other diseases such as pericarditis, orchitis, mastoiditis, meningitis, optic neuritis, paralysis of the palate, mania, cholera, and dysentery. Overall, five percent of the city were destroyed, and the population and economic development were severely damaged. This study aims to evaluate the importance of the history of local medicine in Tehran, the spread of Spanish flu, World War I, and presence of Russian, Ottoman, and British troops in Iran during the flu outbreak. The critical role of Britain in artificial famine, malnutrition, and drug embargo was assessed, as well.