Legendary Doctor’s Secret History Leaves His Colleagues In Total Awe

Before Dr. Barry changed the game, C-section births were only done after the mother, and possibly the child, had passed. He became the first surgeon to conduct the procedure with no deaths. Dr. James Barry was a master surgeon, and throughout his life, work remained at the forefront of his character.

The soft-speaking Dr. Barry was very self-conscious about his appearance: Colleagues noticed he kept his face finely trimmed — never letting a beard show — and he was also terribly short and very self-conscious about it. His rough temper and distant behavior was also a concern, as was his relationship with women.

See, Dr. Barry was known to be a terrible brute. Even Florence Nightingale, the legendary nurse who made monumental impacts in patient care and sure professionalism, thought so. The two didn’t care for one another, and certain behaviors of Dr. B’s really stood out to a mother of modern medicine.

Notably, Dr. Barry was especially difficult with women. He could be hostile towards the women in his life, but he was also an insatiable flirt despite never taking a wife or courting a colleague. In modern terms, Dr. James Barry was an utter dog — at least until the patients showed up.

Fortunately, patients never dealt with Dr. Barry’s wrath. With them, he was kind and caring. He traveled across the world — going from the UK, to Africa, to Venezuela, and lastly Canada — as assigned by his military superiors. Dr. James Barry was changing the world around him. But the world was changing him, too.

Dr. Barry couldn’t adjust to the Canadian weather and climate, and wound up sick with bronchitis. After making positive changes to soldiers’ housing and nutrition, along with their families, the doctor was sent back to London to recuperate. Sadly, this would lead to his end.

See, at the end of his life, Dr. Barry had a simple request: when he died, there would be no examination. There would be no formal change into funeral attire. He wanted to be buried six-feet under right away without a second glance. His maid, however, had different plans.

The story went like this: when “Dr. James Barry” was born in 1789, Ireland, they were biologically a baby girl named Margaret Bulkley. Her family struggled financially, as her father was in debt, which he was eventually imprisoned for. Then, the eldest boy, John Bulkely, disappeared. Margaret and their mother had to find a way through.

After some deliberation, the duo decided only option was to rely on Margaret’s Uncle, James Barry, who was a painter and professor at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Sadly, he refused to help. But life has a funny way of working out.

The real James Barry passed away from respiratory illness in 1806, leaving no will to anyone in particular. The stray Bulkely’s were given some of his estate, which helped them along for a bit, but wouldn’t forever. Still, Margaret had resources now, and with help from the late James Barry’s friends, the future-doctor started training.