In the 19th century, there weren’t many female physicians. For more than 40 years, Margaret Bulkley, an Irishwoman, practiced medicine under the guise of Dr. James Barry. This article describes what transpired, Bulkley’s time in Malta, and how we came to know what did.
Her early life
Most sources concur that Margaret Bulkley was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1789. Her father was a trader who provided the powerful British Navy’s Cork base with supplies. Her father’s business was destroyed by the 1798 revolt, and he became insolvent.
Margaret ran away to London with her mother. James Barry, a painter, was their neighbor and also her mother’s brother. Margaret made the decision to pose as a boy in order to pursue a career in medicine. She adopted her uncle’s name and Edinburgh University 3 accepted her in either 1809 or 1810.
In the university, there were early rumors that he must be a prepubescent male rather than a woman. Many were so certain that a woman couldn’t succeed in higher education that it never even occurred to them that “James” might be a woman.
She trained as a surgeon and went back to London.
Barry made yet another risky move by enlisting in the British Army. Before becoming the Medical Inspector for Cape Town in 1815, according to certain records, this occurred as a hospital aide on July 5, 1813. According to other sources, he visited Cape Town in 1812.
The British military eventually dispatched Dr. Barry to Malta.
Barry in Malta
Dr. Barry deceived everyone throughout the globe for 46 years. Barry was assigned by the army to Malta as the islands’ principal medical officer on November 2, 1846.
He landed on November 17 from Gibraltar. Days after his arrival in December 1846, Barry went to the liturgy at Valletta’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Barry received a reprimand from Governor Sir Patrick Stuart for occupying a pew intended for clerics.
Before settling in the contemporary town of Sliema, Barry booked a room at the Claredon Hotel in Valletta. Barry’s Sliema landlord claimed that because he would refer to Barry as “Dan ix-xitan ghandu ikun mara,” he knew she was a woman (This devil should be a woman.)
A cholera epidemic struck the soldiers in Fort St. Elmo on September 6, 1848. Barry resisted making the cholera diagnosis despite there being an outbreak in Mauritius in 1819. He asserted that diarrhea was the cause of this. This judgment was supported by two other surgeons who attributed the problem to stagnant water. A post-mortem conducted by Barry on a purported cholera victim disproved the claim.
Barry created a vehicle in 1849 to transport ill soldiers from the Customs House dock up to the military hospital. There were ferries to ferry soldiers from Fort Ricasoli across the harbor, but there were no other means of transportation available. Several people were too frail to climb the hospital’s inclining hill. Until Barry made a change, nobody took any action.
Barry’s efforts to stop a typhus epidemic were praised by the Duke of Wellington. Barry was promoted to the position of Inspector-General of hospitals, the highest rank an army doctor can have. This title is comparable to Brigadier-General.
The Malta Times noted that “the troops and the impoverished particularly, as well as a great number of acquaintances among the first circles in the island, will grieve their loss” while reporting on Barry’s departure from the islands for Corfu on April 1, 1851.
Dr. Barry is renowned for making numerous medical advancements.
Barry’s medical career
Dr. Barry continued to enhance modern medicine. In South Africa, where Barry’s temper and outbursts revolutionized healthcare and preceded Florence Nightingale’s directives in Crimea, his insistence on hygiene had its start.
He created a plant-based treatment for gonorrhea and syphilis, advocated for clean air, water, and a balanced diet, and invented the smallpox vaccine.
He performed the first successful Caesarian delivery in which the mother and child both survived in 1826 (or 1820).
Dr. Barry was able to maintain his secrecy right up to his passing.
Death
Dr. Barry passed away at Marylebone, London, on July 25, 1865. He had given clear instructions to have his body buried in the clothes he was wearing when he passed away. This is a clear ploy to prevent the truth about Margaret/James from being revealed.
Sophia Bishop was the charwoman employed to lay out the body and who discovered the truth. She tried and failed to blackmail the British Army about this..
With the news, which was first broadcast in Dublin and then the rest of the Empire, she went to the media. This was subsequently covered by The Malta Times on October 5, 1865.
Story of Kathrine Switzer: the first woman to run in Boston Marathon
Before women were allowed to run in the Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer participated. A race official attempted to forcefully remove her from the race in 1967, but her boyfriend pushed him down. She was the first female finisher who had a numbered entry in the race.
Poto And Cabengo: The Secret Language Of Twins
Poto and Cabengo, as the two girls called each other, communicated in their own language. The twins were ignored by their parents and secluded from the outside world because their father felt they were developmentally retarded, and their unique language evolved as a result of that neglect.
15 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled Britain for 70 years, has away at the age of 96. She was the country's longest-reigning monarch. Here are some little-known facts about her.
The 1814 London beer flood
In 1814, there was a beer flood in London when a tank containing more than 300,000 gallons ruptured in which 8 people drowned.
Philippines, the largest supplier of Nurses in the World
Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide.
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his own life
Vince Coleman, a railway dispatcher, sacrificed his life in order to warn an incoming train of an imminent explosion. His telegraph said “Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys.” He saved 300 lives.
How did Howard Florey discover penicillin
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming, but he never attempted to turn it into an antibiotic. It wasn't until ten years later that Howard Florey discovered Fleming's obscure paper and understood the mold's potential. Up to 200 million lives may have been saved as a result of Florey's work.
The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.
3 men lived on top of a billboard in tents for almost 9 months
From 1982-1983, three men in Allentown PA competed in a radio contest in which they lived on top of a billboard in tents. Whoever stayed up longest would win a house. Due to economic pressure from the recession, none of the contestants wanted to give up, so the contest lasted almost 9 months.
What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.
The Arabia Steamboat: Unearthing a 19th Century Time Capsule from the Missouri River
The Arabia was a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River in 1856. Over time, the river shifted 800 meters to the east, eventually turning the site of the sinking into a field. The steamboat remained under 45 feet of slit and topsoil until 1988, when it was excavated. The mud, as it turned out, was such a great preserver that most of the artifacts on board were found to be intact. They even found jars of preserved apples that were still edible!
Roller Coasters were First Invented to Distract People from sin
Roller coasters were invented to distract Americans from sin. In the 1880s, hosiery businessman LaMarcus Thompson didn’t like that Americans were going to places like saloons and brothels and created the first roller coaster on Coney Island to persuade them to go there instead.
Titanoboa cerrejonensis, fossils of the world’s largest species of snake
In 2009 in a coal mine of Columbia, scientists discovered fossils of the world’s largest species of snake. The species is called “Titanoboa cerrejonensis,“and it is from around 60 million years ago. It would have had measured about 48 feet long and weighed about 2,500 pounds
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
Top 10 most cruel medical procedures that are being used today
We are all aware that medicine has advanced dramatically over the last fifty years. There are several modern medical approaches available today, but this was not always the case. However, the past of medicine is a dark one. Medical leeches, lobotomy, vascular surgery, cranial stenosis, and even electroshock therapy are all options. These are only a couple of the cruel healing techniques that are still in use today.
Nicholas Winton ‘British Schindler’: Man who rescued 669 Czech children from Nazis
A man named Nicholas Winton saved 669 kids during WWII and lived almost all his life without letting people know.
Remembering the miracles of the 1985 Mexico earthquake (unbelievable stories)
In 1985, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City, nearly all newborn babies survived a collapsed hospital. They are known as “Miracle Babies” for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.
1972 Andes Plane Crash Survivor recall the terrifying Struggles to Stay Alive
On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a rugby team from Uruguay crashed in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The survivors were in brutal conditions - high altitude, bitter cold, and the lack of food—and faced the most terrible choice—eating the frozen flesh of their dead friends or starving to death themselves.
New London School Explosion, Deadliest school disaster which killed almost 300 children and teachers
In 1937, a gas leak in the basement at the local school in New London, Texas caused a massive explosion which killed almost 300 children and teachers, the deadliest school disaster in US history. Adolf Hitler even sent his condolences by telegram.
Juliane Koepcke: The Teenager Who Fell 10,000 Feet And Trekked The Jungle to survive
In 1971, a high school student was sucked out of an airplane after it was struck by lightning. She fell 10,000 feet to the ground while still strapped to her chair and survived. Only to endure a 9-day trek to the nearest civilization.
How a Total Lunar Eclipse Saved Christopher Columbus in 1504
In 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica with natives who refused to give him food. But he knew the date and time of an upcoming lunar eclipse. So he told the natives that his gods were angry at their treatment of him, and would provide a clear sign. Once the eclipse started, the natives raced to give him food and begged for mercy.
Ea-Nasir: world's oldest written customer complaint
This clay tablet, written in cuneiform, is the oldest known written customer complaint about the delivery of poor quality copper ingots. Originally from ancient Babylon, the tablet dates back to 1750 BCE, and it was written by a customer named Nanni to a merchant named Ea-Nasir. It is currently housed in the British Museum.
Terry Fox, a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 143 days before dying
Terry Fox was a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 3,339 miles across Canada in 143 days before dying.
Tunnels Dug by ancient giant sloths, A South American Megafauna
For years, scientists didn’t know what caused mysterious cave networks in South America. In 2010, they learned that the caves were actually tunnels dug by ancient giant sloths
The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.
