Unlike Merrite, Barger was described as being the picture
of health as a child, which falls in line with Watson's description.
Sadly, Merrite's story isn't a happy one and if he is indeed was Albert,
it casts the already controversial experiment in an even darker light.
Starkly contrasting Watson's description of Albert as one of“the
best-developed youngsters ever brought to the hospital”, Merrite was a very sickly baby who suffered horribly from
hydrocephalus(fluid on the brain);
Barger's medical records also
indicate that he was a healthy weight for a baby, whilst Merrite was underweight,
the latter of which doesn't at all fit with the known images(and video) of Albert showing a plump, robust infant.
Barger had a considerably happier life than Merrite, living to the ripe old age of 87 and,
according to friends and family, he was a nice man who lived a fulfilling life, though he reportedly had an aversion to dogs which his family enjoyed teasing him about(at least, according to his niece).