History of the Merck Manuals
Content last modified Sep 2021
In 1899, the American drug manufacturer Merck & Co. first published a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists titled默克's Manual of the Materia Medica. It was meant as an aid to physicians and pharmacists, reminding doctors that “Memory is treacherous.” Compact in size, easy to use, and comprehensive,The Merck Manual(后来称为)成为了一个favorite of those involved in medical care and others in need of a medical reference. Even Albert Schweitzer carried a copy to Africa in 1913, and Admiral Byrd carried a copy to the South Pole in 1929.
Over the years, each subsequent edition of the book grew in size and scope, eventually becoming one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources. By the 1980s, the book was translated into more than a dozen languages.
在1990年，我们introducedThe Merck Manual of Geriatrics. This book quickly became the best-selling textbook of geriatric medicine, providing specific and comprehensive information on the care of older people. The 3rd edition was published in five languages.The Merck Manual of Health & Aging, published in 2004, continued Merck's commitment to education in geriatric care, providing information on aging and older people’s health issues in words understandable by the public.
In 1997,The Merck Manual of Medical Information–Home Editionwas published. In this revolutionary book, the editors translated the complex medical information inThe Merck Manualinto everyday language, producing a book accessible by people who did not have a medical degree. That bookwas updated in 2003 to becomeThe Second Home Edition，在2009年成为The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook.
In 1999, the centennial edition (the 17th) ofThe Merck Manual已发布，并免费在线提供手册的第一个数字版本。必威游戏可以玩什么意思此后不久，这些手册是作为手持应用程序发布必威游戏可以玩什么意思的，以利用技术的进步并更好地满足读者的信息需求。
Over the years, The Manuals, both professional and consumer, have been translated into 17 languages. A number of these translations have also been available online. Digital versions of The Manuals outside of the US and Canada are titled the MSD Manuals.
In 2014, the decision was made to move to digital-only publications. Continuously updating the content digitally allows The Manuals to keep pace with the current rapid advances in medical information. Digital publication also allows The Manuals to include all manner of multimedia and frees them from the need to fit information within the confines of bound books.