Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran Archives of Iranian Medicine 1029-2977 28 11 2025 11 01 Scarlet Fever in Iran During the Qajar Period (1796 to 1925 AD); A Brief Historical Review 660 667 10.34172/aim.35069 EN Seyyed Alireza Golshani https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1635-4578 Ghobad Mansourbakht https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1475-0008 Mehrdad Haghighi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3139-3225 Journal Article 10.34172/aim.35069 2025 09 04 2025 10 06 Scarlet fever, known in Persian as "Tab-e Sorkh," is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. During the Qajar era (1796–1925), it was often deadly and reached pandemic levels in the 19th century. Both traditional Iranian and European medicine described its symptoms, but few comparative studies exist. By analyzing historical Persian texts, European medical reports, and modern literature, this study compares how the disease was understood and treated. Symptoms like rash and fever were widely recognized, and mortality was high before antibiotics. Traditional treatments followed humoral theory, including herbal remedies and bloodletting. Outbreaks peaked in cold months, mostly affecting children aged 5–15 years — a pattern seen in both medical systems. From the 1820s to 1880s, scarlet fever caused global outbreaks, especially in Iran. This research shows how combining historical perspectives can deepen our understanding of infectious diseases and their treatment across time.