The Merck Index is an encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....

 of chemicals, drugs

Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...

 and biological

Biomolecule

A biomolecule is any molecule that is produced by a living organism, including large polymeric molecules such as proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and nucleic acids as well as small molecules such as primary metabolites, secondary metabolites, and natural products...

s with over 10,000 monographs on single substances or groups of related compound

Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

s. It also includes an appendix with monographs on organic name reactions. It is published by the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 pharmaceutical company

Pharmaceutical company

The pharmaceutical industry develops, produces, and markets drugs licensed for use as medications. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to deal in generic and/or brand medications and medical devices...

 Merck & Co.

Merck & Co.

Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...

 The Merck Index is also available by subscription in an electronic searchable form, commonly carried by research libraries, as well as in a web-accessible form.

The current edition is the 14th, released in October 2006.

Monographs in the Merck Index typically contain:

• a CAS registry number
  CAS registry number
  CAS Registry Numbersare unique numerical identifiers assigned by the "Chemical Abstracts Service" toevery chemical described in the...
  
  
• synonyms of the substance, such as trivial name
  Trivial name
  In chemistry, a trivial name is a common name or vernacular name; it is a non-systematic name or non-scientific name. That is, the name is not recognised according to the rules of any formal system of nomenclature...
  
  s & International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry nomenclature
• a chemical formula
  Chemical formula
  A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
  
  
• molecular weight
• Percent composition
• a structural formula
  Structural formula
  The structural formula of a chemical compound is a graphical representation of the molecular structure, showing how the atoms are arranged. The chemical bonding within the molecule is also shown, either explicitly or implicitly...
  
  
• a description of the substance's appearance
• melting point
  Melting point
  The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. At the melting point the solid and liquid phase exist in equilibrium. The melting point of a substance depends on pressure and is usually specified at standard atmospheric pressure...
  
   and boiling point
  Boiling point
  The boiling point of an element or a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the environmental pressure surrounding the liquid....
  
  
• solubility
  Solubility
  Solubility is the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substance called solute to dissolve in a solid, liquid, or gaseous solvent to form a homogeneous solution of the solute in the solvent. The solubility of a substance fundamentally depends on the used solvent as well as on...
  
   in solvent
  Solvent
  A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
  
  s commonly used in the laboratory
• citations to other literature regarding the compound's chemical synthesis
  Chemical synthesis
  In chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of chemical reactions to get a product, or several products. This happens by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions...
  
  
• a therapeutic category, if applicable

Past 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

Other publications

The home edition of Merck Manuals Online Medical Library can be accessed publicly, which adds values for the company's service.

External for Purchase Search tools

The link below is a Subscription Based provider of the Merck Index. Unknown about the fees

• The Merck Index

External links

• Official information