“A perfect female” – the fascinating tale of Dr James Barry at the Cape

Early in 1817 a slim, young and newly-qualified doctor stepped onto the docks in Cape Town to take up the position of staff surgeon to the British garrison stationed there. Dr James Barry had qualified asDoctoratus in Arte Medica in July 1812 from the University ofEdinburgh, having completed the medical course there in four years and written and defended a thesis in Latin. The thesis dealt with the treatment of hernias.

From Edinburgh the young doctor went to London to become a “pupil” at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals. Here he was fortunate to study under the famous surgeons Mr (later Sir) Astley Paston Cooper and Mr Henry Cline.
Shortly after completing the two courses he followed at the hospitals he sat for the examination of the Royal College of Surgeons to qualify as a Regimental Assistant. Three days later, on 5 July 1813, Dr Barry joined the British Army as a Hospital Assistant.


Dr Barry was posted to the Cape, where he made his mark as an exceptionally capable and innovative physician, actually performing one of the earliest successful Caesarian sections in which both mother and child survived, as well as contributing to public health and the treatment of lepers and prisoners.
From the Cape Dr Barry was sent to the West Indies, Canada, the Crimea and Corfu before he returned to England in 1864.

The cold and wet of the English climate did not suit Dr Barry after his many years in more temperate climates (excepting, of course, the seven or so years in Canada and the much shorter period in the Crimea) and after a carriage ride in July 1865 he caught a chill and died on the 26th of that month, sad and alone.
All of the above would be relatively unexceptional at the time, except that Dr Barry was actually born Margaret Bulkley in County Cork, Ireland in about 1789, and there were no sex-change operations in those days.

© “A perfect female”
Wiki: James Barry (surgeon)