Merck Index

The Merck Index is an encyclopedia of chemicals, drugs and biologicals with over 10,000 monographs on single substances or groups of related compounds^[1] published online by the Royal Society of Chemistry.^[2]

History

The first edition of the Merck's Index was published in 1889 by the German chemical company Emanuel Merck and was primarily used as a sales catalog for Merck's growing list of chemicals it sold.^[2] The American subsidiary was established two years later and continued to publish it. During World War I the US government seized Merck's US operations and made it a separate American "Merck" company that continued to publish the Merck Index.

In 2012 the Merck Index was licensed to the Royal Society of Chemistry.^[3] An online version of The Merck Index, including historic records and new updates not in the print edition,^[1] is commonly available through research libraries. It also includes an appendix with monographs on organic named reactions.

The 15th edition was published in April 2013.

Monographs in The Merck Index typically contain:^[1]

a CAS registry number
synonyms of the substance, such as trivial names and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry nomenclature
a chemical formula
molecular weight
percent composition
a structural formula
a description of the substance's appearance
melting point and boiling point
solubility in solvents commonly used in the laboratory
citations to other literature regarding the compound's chemical synthesis
a therapeutic category, if applicable
caution and hazard information

Editions

A 5th edition copy owned by Professor Victor Trikojus
1st (1889) – first edition released by E. Merck (Germany)
2nd (1896) – second edition released by Merck's American subsidiary and added medicines from the United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary
3rd (1907)
4th (1930)
5th (1940)
6th (1952)
7th (1960) – first named editor is Merck chemist Paul G. Stecher^[2]
8th (1968) – editor Paul G. Stecher
9th (1976) – editor Martha Windholz, a Merck chemist
10th (1983), ISBN 0-911910-27-1 – editor Martha Windholz. In 1984 the Index became available online as well as printed.
11th (1989), ISBN 0-911910-28-X
12th (1996), ISBN 0-911910-12-3 – editor Susan Budavari, a Merck chemist
13th (2001), ISBN 0-911910-13-1 – editor Maryadele O'Neil, senior editor at Merck
14th (2006), ISBN 978-0-911910-00-1 – editor Maryadele O'Neil
15th (2013), ISBN 978-1-84973670-1 – editor Maryadele O'Neil; first edition under the Royal Society of Chemistry^[3]