Ménière was originally set to be a assistant professor in faculty, but political tensions disturbed his professorship and was sent to control the spread of cholera. He received a legion of honor for his work, but never gained professorship. After securing the position of physician-in-chief at the Institute for deaf-mutes, he focused on the diseases of the ear.
Ménière's studies at the deaf-mute institute helped formulate his paper, On a particular kind of hearing loss resulting from lesions of the inner ear which which ultimately lead to the recognition of Ménière's disease.