Merck Index

First issue, titled Merck's 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. It also includes an appendix with monographs on organic named reactions. It was published by the United States pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. from 1889 until 2012, when the title was acquired by the Royal Society of Chemistry. An online version of The Merck Index, including historic records and new updates not in the print edition, is commonly available through research libraries.

The current edition is the 15th, published in April 2013.

Monographs in The Merck Index typically contain:

• 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

• 1st (1889)
• 2nd (1896)
• 3rd (1907)
• 4th (1930)
• 5th (1940)
• 6th (1952)
• 7th (1960)
• 8th (1968)
• 9th (1976)
• 10th (1983), ISBN 0-911910-27-1
• 11th (1989), ISBN 0-911910-28-X
• 12th (1996), ISBN 0-911910-12-3
• 13th (2001), ISBN 0-911910-13-1
• 14th (2006), ISBN 978-0-911910-00-1
• 15th (2013), ISBN 978-1-84973670-1

See also

• List of academic databases and search engines

External links

• Official website