Merck Materia Medica 1899 ed facsimile cover page PS2

''The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy'', referred to as ''The Merck Manual'', is the world's best-selling medical textbook, and the oldest continuously published English language medical textbook. First published in 1899, the current print edition of the book, the 20th Edition, was published in 2018. In 2014, Merck decided to move ''The Merck Manual'' to digital-only, online publication, available in both professional and consumer versions; this decision was reversed in 2017, with the publication of the 20th edition the following year. ''The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy'' is one of several medical textbooks, collectively known as ''

The Merck Manuals ''The Merck Manuals'' (outside the U.S. and Canada ''The MSD Manuals'') are medical references published by the American pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), that cover a wide range of medical to ...

'', which are published by Merck Publishing, a subsidiary of the

pharmaceutical company The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate sympto ...

Merck Co., Inc. in the United States and Canada, and MSD (as ''The MSD Manuals'') in other countries in the world. Merck also formerly published ''

The Merck Index ''The Merck Index'' is an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs and biologicals with over 10,000 monograph on single substances or groups of related compounds published online by the Royal Society of Chemistry. History The first edition of the M ...

'', ''An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals.''

History and editions

The first edition of ''The Merck Manual'' was published in 1899 by Merck & Co., Inc. for physicians and pharmacists and was titled ''Merck’s Manual of the Materia Medica''. Merck's manual of the materia medica, together with a summary of therapeutic indications and a classification of medicaments. New York, Chicago: Merck & Co., 1899
/ref> The 192 page book which sold for US $1.00, was divided into three sections, Part I (“Materia Medica”) was an alphabetical listing of all known compounds thought to be of therapeutic value with uses and doses; Part II (“Therapeutic Indications”) was an alphabetical compendium of symptoms, signs, and diseases with a list of all known treatments; and Part III (“Classification of Medicaments ''(sic)'' According to their Physiologic Actions”) was a listing of therapeutic agents according to their method of action or drug classification. Many of the terms used are now considered archaic, such as

abasia Abasia (from Greek: ''a-'', without and ''basis'', step) is the inability to walk owing to impairment in motor coordination. The term covers a spectrum of medical disorders such as: * choreic abasia: caused by chorea of the legs * paralytic abas ...

astasia Astasis is a lack of motor coordination marked by an inability to stand, walk or even sit without assistance due to disruption of muscle coordination. The term ''astasia'' is interchangeable with ''astasis'' and is most commonly referred to as '' ...

, errhines and

rubefacients A rubefacient is a substance for topical application that produces redness of the skin, e.g. by causing dilation of the capillaries and an increase in blood circulation. They have sometimes been used to relieve acute or chronic pain, but there is l ...

- sternutatories, and many of the agents listed are now not considered to be standard therapeutic agents but were considered useful at the time, including poisonous compounds such as

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

, strychnine and

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, but ...

. There were 108 remedies listed for

indigestion Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

(dyspepsia), including alcohol, arsenic,

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

gold chloride Gold chloride can refer to: * Gold(I) chloride (gold monochloride), AuCl * Gold(I,III) chloride (gold dichloride, tetragold octachloride), Au4Cl8 * Gold(III) chloride (gold trichloride, digold hexachloride), Au2Cl6 * Chloroauric acid Chloroauri ...

, mercury,

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...

, nux vomica,

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...

silver nitrate Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides. It was once called ''lunar caustic' ...

, strychnine, and “

Turkish baths A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

(for malaise after dining out)”.

Bismuth Bismuth is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Bi and atomic number 83. It is a post-transition metal and one of the pnictogens, with chemical properties resembling its lighter group 15 siblings arsenic and antimony. Elemental ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

salts In chemistry, a salt is a chemical compound consisting of an ionic assembly of positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, which results in a compound with no net electric charge. A common example is table salt, with positively cha ...

were also on the list, which are ingredients found in many modern gastrointestinal treatments available today. Arsenic was recommended for over 100 illnesses including

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, th ...

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

, hydrophobia,

elephantiasis Elephantiasis is the enlargement and hardening of limbs or body parts due to tissue swelling. It is characterised by edema, hypertrophy, and fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues, due to obstruction of lymphatic vessels. It may affect the geni ...

, and

impotence Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of mal ...

. The formulas include “aletris cordial”, a “uterine tonic and restorative”, which contained “ aletris farinosa or True Unicorn combined with

aromatics Aromatic compounds, also known as "mono- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons", are organic compounds containing one or more aromatic rings. The parent member of aromatic compounds is benzene. The word "aromatic" originates from the past groupin ...

”. The manufacturer, Rio Chemicals of St. Louis was clear to differentiate the inclusion of true unicorn rather than false unicorn in its preparation. The earliest versions did contain drugs that are still in use today for the same purposes, for example

digitalis ''Digitalis'' ( or ) is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, shrubs, and biennials, commonly called foxgloves. ''Digitalis'' is native to Europe, western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are tubular in sha ...

for

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

salicylates Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substa ...

for

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

rheumatism and

fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a body temperature, temperature above the human body temperature, normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, set point. There is not a single ...

, nitroglycerin for cardiac

angina pectoris Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of obstru ...

;, and bismuth salicylate for

Merck also began publishing ''Merck’s Archives of the Materia Medica'', a monthly journal consisting of papers related to drugs and uses, which was available for an annual subscription of

US $ The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...

1.00.

The second edition of ''The Merck Manual'' was published in 1901, was expanded to 282 pages and included new sections on poisons and antidotes, tables and conversion charts, and a detailed explanation of the metric system.Merck's 1901 Manual of the Materia Medica - A Ready-Reference Pocket Book for the Practicing Physician and Surgeon. New York, Chicago: Merck & Co., 1901
/ref> The 5th edition, published in 1923 was delayed due to paper shortages caused by

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and the release of the 6th edition was delayed until 1934 due to the

Stock Market Crash A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...

. The editor of that edition, Dr. M. R. Dinkelspiel had overseen the growth and reorganization of the Manual to discuss specific diseases, diagnosis and treatment options, and external specialists reviewed each section. The 8th edition of the Manual was delayed by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

until 1950. The 13th edition, released in 1977 was the first time the textbook was produced using

magnetic tape Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic storage made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany in 1928, based on the earlier magnetic wire recording from Denmark. Devices that use magne ...

and IBM

punch cards A punched card (also punch card or punched-card) is a piece of stiff paper that holds digital data represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions. Punched cards were once common in data processing applications or to di ...

, the previous version having been typed on a manual typewriter. The Centennial (17th) Edition published in 1999 included a separate facsimile version of the 1899 1st edition. It is reported that both Admiral

Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...

took the book with him on his expedition to the South Pole in 1929 and

Albert Schweitzer Ludwig Philipp Albert Schweitzer (; 14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965) was an Alsatian-German/French polymath. He was a theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. A Lutheran minister, Schwei ...

had a copy of The Merck Manual with him at his hospital mission in Africa in 1913. The recommended doses given in Part 1 of 1901 edition of ''The Manual'' were for adults when given by mouth. It included the following dose adjustment recommendations:

Print editions of ''The Merck Manual''

# 1899 # 1901 # 1905 # 1911 # 1923 # 1934 # 1940 # 1950 # 1956 # 1961 (There were two printings in 1961, June and Nov; a third in Aug 1962 and a fourth in June 1963) # 1966 # 1972 # 1977 # 1982 # 1984 # 1992 (2 million copies sold) # 1999 (Centennial Edition) # 2006 # 2011 # 2018 (current print edition)

Content

''The Merck Manual'' is organized, like many internal medicine textbooks, into organ systems (see List of Medical Topics below) which discuss each major diseases of that system, covering diagnosis (signs, symptoms, tests), prognosis and treatment. It provides a comprehensive yet concise compendium of medical knowledge into about 3500 pages, by emphasizing practical information of use to a practicing physician. In addition to 24 sections covering medical topics, it includes a pharmacology section listing drugs by generic and brand name, a list of drug interactions and a pill identifier, a News and Commentary section, videos on procedures and examination techniques, quizzes and case histories, clinical calculators, conversion tables and other resources. The text is characterized by the combination of conciseness, completeness, and being up-to-date. It is updated continuously by an independent editorial board and over 300 peer reviewers that contribute to the textbook, which goes through an average of 10 revisions by both internal and external reviewers before publication. The internal editorial staff consists of 4 physician reviews, one executive editor and four non-medical lay editors. The latest version has been translated into 17 languages. In addition to the online version, ''The Merck Manual Professional Edition'' is also available as a mobile app in both

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also include ...

and Android platforms, produced by Unbound Medicine, Inc.

Medical topic sections (online edition)

K1. Cardiovascular Disorders 2. Clinical Pharmacology 3. Critical Care Medicine 4. Dental Disorders 5. Dermatological Disorders 6. Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders 7. Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders 8. Eye Disorders 9. Gastrointestinal Disorders 10. Genitourinary Disorders 11. Geriatrics 12. Gynecology and Obstetrics 13. Hematology and Oncology 14. Hepatic and Biliary Disorders 15. Immunology; Allergic Disorders 16. Infectious Diseases 17. Injuries; Poisoning 18. Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders 19. Neurologic Disorders 20. Nutritional Disorders 21. Pediatrics 22. Psychiatric Disorders 23. Pulmonary Disorders 24. Special Subjects

Awards and recognition

''The Merck Manual'' was listed in the 2003 Brandon Hill "Selected List of Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library" as a recommended medical textbook for diagnosis, geriatrics, and patient education. ''The Merck Manuals'' were awarded five 2015 eHealthcare Leadership Awards including a Gold Award for Best Healthcare Content for Professionals, and a Distinction Award: Best Overall Healthcare Site, Consumer at the nineteenth annual Healthcare Internet Conference held in November 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Merck Publishing offers resources for “The Merck Manual Award” provided annually to outstanding medical students. The qualifications for the award are determined by each medical school. Medical schools that give this award include University of North Carolina School of Medicine, University of Central Florida School of Medicine and the University of Illinois School of Medicine.

Other Merck manuals

''The Merck Manual of Geriatrics''

First published in 1990, sections of ''The Merck Manual'' were made into a separate volume dealing with diseases and management of illnesses in the elderly. It has gone through three print editions, the last version published in 2000. Since the transition of The Merck Manual in 2015 to a web only based version, the Manual of Geriatrics is accessible through the Professional and Consumer portals of the online text. A search engine on the Merck Manual site allows searches limited to the contents of ''The Merck Manual of Geriatrics''.

''The Merck Manual of Patient Symptoms''

''The Merck Manual of Patient Symptoms'' is a concise, pocket size reference guide intended for medical students and allied health care professionals in training. It covers symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Consumer editions

''The Merck Manual of Medical Information – Home Edition''

''The Merck Manual of Medical Information – Home Edition'' was published in 1997 and was a re-edited version of the Professional version using less technical language intended for patients, caregivers and people interested in medical topics without training in health fields. This edition sold over 2 million copies. The ''Second Home Edition'' was released in 2003, and the third edition was published in 2009 as ''The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook'', and sold over 4 million copies. Since 2015 the Consumer version content is available only via the online Merck Manual website. A condensed consumer-oriented version was published at ''The Merck Manual Go-To Home Guide for Symptoms'' in 2013.

''The Merck Manual of Women's and Men's Health''

In 2014, ''The Second Home Edition'' was extracted from the Professional version of ''The Manual'' and published as ''The Merck Manual of Women's and Men's Health''

''The Merck Manual of Health & Aging''

A consumer version of ''The Merck Manual of Geriatrics'' was released in print in 2004 as ''The Merck Manual of Health & Aging'', which included information on aging and the care of older people in non-technical language for the public. The content was incorporated into the Consumer version of the online Merck Manual in 2015.

Veterinary medicine

''The Merck Veterinary Manual''

''The Merck Veterinary Manual'' has been published since 1955 for professional veterinarians and other professionals in the veterinary field. It is the most widely used veterinary medicine textbook. It is still published in a print version and the 11th edition is scheduled for release on July 12, 2016. The ''Merck Veterinary Manual'' has been translated into seven languages, including Croatian, French,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. It is also available as a mobile app in both

and Android platforms, as well as an online version.

''Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health (Home Edition)''

A consumer version written in non-technical language as a joint publication between Merck and

Merial Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is a multinational animal health company, formed in January 2017 when Merial was acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim and merged with Boehringer Ingelheim's existing animal health assets. Overview In August 1997, ...

released as the ''Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health (Home Edition)'' was first published in 2007. . A consumer oriented version of the Merck Veterinary Manual is available online as the ''Pet Health Edition''.

Notes

References

External links

''Merck Manuals''
full text online *

*

{{Merck&Co 1899 books Medical manuals Merck Group Merck & Co.