Editing Merck Index

{{Short description|Index of chemicals}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2008}}
{{Italic title}}
[[Image:MERCKS INDEX.png|thumb|First issue, titled ''Merck's Index''|230x230px]]
'''''The Merck Index''''' is an encyclopedia of [[chemical substance|chemical]]s, [[pharmaceutical drug|drug]]s and [[biomolecule|biological]]s with over 10,000 [[monographs]] on single substances or groups of related [[chemical compound|compound]]s<ref name=db-intro /> published online by the [[Royal Society of Chemistry]].<ref name="acscinf.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.acscinf.org/content/merck-index-encyclopedia-chemicals-and-natural-products|title=The Merck Index, an Encyclopedia of Chemicals and Natural Products | publisher= ACS Division of Chemical Information (CINF)|website= ACSCINF.org|language=en|access-date=2018-04-15}}</ref>

==History==
The first edition of the Merck's Index was published in 1889 by the German chemical company [[Merck Group|Emanuel Merck]] and was primarily used as a sales catalog for Merck's growing list of chemicals it sold.<ref name="acscinf.org"/> 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]].<ref name= acq>{{Cite press release |url= http://www.rsc.org/AboutUs/News/PressReleases/2012/RSC-acquires-Merck-Index.asp|title= RSC acquires Merck Index| website= RSC.org|language=en|access-date= 7 January 2015}}</ref> An online version of The Merck Index, including historic records and new updates not in the print edition,<ref name=db-intro>{{cite web |title= Database Introduction | website= RSC.org |url=https://www.rsc.org/Merck-Index/info/rsc-database-introduction}}</ref> is commonly available through research libraries. It also includes an appendix with monographs on organic [[named reaction]]s.

The 15th edition was published in April 2013.

Monographs in ''The Merck Index'' typically contain:<ref name=db-intro />
* a [[CAS registry number]]
* synonyms of the substance, such as [[trivial name]]s 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 [[solvent]]s 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==
*[[File:Copy of the Merck Index 5th edition 1940 owned by Prof Victor Trikojus.jpg|thumb|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<ref name="acscinf.org"/>
*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<ref name= acq />

== See also ==
* [[List of academic databases and search engines]]
* ''The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy''
* ''The Merck Veterinary Manual''
* ''Home Health and Pet Health''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.rsc.org/Merck-Index/}}

{{Royal Society of Chemistry}}
{{Merck&Co}}

[[Category:Merck Group]]
[[Category:1889 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1896 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1907 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1930 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1940 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1952 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1960 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1968 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1976 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1983 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1989 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:1996 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:2001 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:2006 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Encyclopedias of science]]
[[Category:1889 in science]]
[[Category:Royal Society of Chemistry]]
[[Category:Chemical databases]]
[[Category:Biological databases]]
[[Category:Eponymous indices]]


{{encyclopedia-stub}}
{{chem-book-stub}}