Post #503958 by Carmine Verandah on Tue, Jan 12, 2010 4:45 PM

Love this thread -- quirky history being one of La Verandah's pet hobbies.

I recently came across this reference to Dr. Bernard Funk under a section titled Prominent Personalities, in an old book reprinted online called "Island Reminiscences: A graphic, detailed Romance of a Life spent in the South Sea Islands," by Thomas Trood, British Vice-Consul at Apia, Samoa:
http://www.archive.org/stream/islandreminiscen00trooiala/islandreminiscen00trooiala_djvu.txt

"...Dr. Bernard Funk, the oldest medical practitioner in Apia,
made his bow to the invalid public here about the same period,
1881, and since then has won golden opinions by his medical success.
In obstetric cases especially he is the man."

In another book mentioned on Google, "Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson," Dr. Funk is mentioned in Fanny Stevenson's diary as a "boisterous surgeon" with a strident voice.

Sounds like quite the character, in keeping with someone who would invent a memorable cocktail.