O’Meara

O’Meara, BARRY EDWARD, physician to Napoleon on St Helena, was born in Ireland in 1786. He first served as surgeon in the army, but was dismissed the service in 1808 for a discreditable share in a duel at Messina. Later he entered the naval department, and was on board the Bellerophon when Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland. He pleased the great exile, and accompanied him as his private physician to St Helena. He took part with Napoleon in his squabbles with the governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, and was imprisoned and compelled to resign his post in 1818. On his return to England he asserted in a letter to the Admiralty that Sir Hudson Lowe had dark designs against his captive’s life, and had attempted insidiously to corrupt himself. For this monstrous charge he was at once dismissed the service. His Napoleon in Exile (1822) made a great sensation, and is still valuable if read with caution. He died obscure in London, 3d June 1836.