Merck Manual Research Articles

Book Review: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

Book Review: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

If one acknowledges its limitations,<i>The Merck Manual</i>can provide an interesting reading experience. Certainly, few medical volumes contain so much information, so concisely stated, and at such a modest price. A distinguished editorial board conveys authority for what is said.<i>The Manual</i>probably comes as close as any available text in describing what is accepted medical practice in the United States today. Newer ideas receive mention, but the bulk of the text deals with long-established principles of diagnosis and therapy. The<i>Manual's</i>limitations are inherent in its design: brevity necessitates arbitrary statements, with opposing views given little or no discussion. References are almost nonexistent. Less common problems are listed, but not discussed. The scant pathophysiological information that is included does not encourage the student to "think through" the problems being considered. As a consequence, the<i>Manual</i>can be recommended as a review for students, residents, and practicing physicians, but

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy,

A copy of the 12th edition of The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, recently sent to the septuagenarian Chief Editor of theAmerican Journal of Diseases of Children, aroused nostalgic recollections of the years of yesterday when he was visiting the homes of the sick with a little black bag gripped in his palm. The bag, though small, housed a surprising number of articles: otoscope, ophthalmoscope, blood pressure apparatus, sterile tongue blades and syringe with an assortment of accessory medications, tubes for sterile cultures, etc. In spite of varieagated items, there was always room for the Merck Manual which was read often before or after a home visit and sometimes consulted quite unabashedly in the presence of a family. If I have any criticism of the current 12th edition, it would be to point out the lack of an introductory complete history of an amazing manual. The Foreword merely

The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. Edited by David N. Holvey. Merck & co., inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, 1972 1964 pp. 12 × 17.5 cm. price $8.00

The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. Edited by David N. Holvey. Merck & co., inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, 1972 1964 pp. 12 × 17.5 cm. price $8.00

Pye's Surgical Handicrafts, ed 19.

In 1884, Walter Pye published the first edition of this famous surgical textbook, and it has been well received in Britain through the past 18 editions. There is no reason to doubt that it will be as fully accepted in this its 19th edition. Some perspective can be gained about its rightful place if I tell you it reminds me of the Merck Manual . In other words, it contains about 800 pages of information vitally needed by nurses, medical students, or interns, which is precisely the group for whom it was written. It is always interesting to read a British textbook, but I can't always be sure if their style and choice of words fascinates me more than the content. In this particular case I believe style wins over content. As for the illustrations, they are somewhat antique and definitely redundant, for example, a photograph of a urinal! The most

Book Reviews

Journal Article Book Reviews Get access The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Eleventh Edition. Charles E. Lyght, Editor. Merck Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories, Division of Merck and Company, Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, 1966. Cloth, 1849 pp. (43A × 7 inches), thumb indexed, illus., $7.50. Helen J. Hislop, Ph.D. Helen J. Hislop, Ph.D. Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Physical Therapy, Volume 47, Issue 3, March 1967, Page 245, https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/47.3.245a Published: 01 March 1967

Medical resident's manual.

The physician's manual, that compendium of clinical information, pharmacological data, and laboratory techniques, belongs to no discipline but its own. The species is an inventive one, for new varieties constantly evolve, each attempting to survive in some part of the medical environment as yet unoccupied by one of its fellows. The hardiness of a few of these organisms is attested by the many editions through which they have passed. In competition with standard reference texts, these little volumes possess distinct advantages. Their small size is appealing and the low price permits purchase of the latest edition without serious pain. The breadth and depth of coverage seemingly offered through the use of telegraphic style and numerous tables may give the reader a satisfying sense of having acquired definitive knowledge. Yet brevity here makes oversimplification inevitable. Some of these works, the perennial Merck Manual , 1 for example, provide a remarkable mass of

Reviews: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

Reviews: The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The explosive advance in the complexity of medicine has made the plight of the undergraduate student and many others often miserable and sometimes fraught with much tension. The problem of getting the necessary amount of information within a compass that is wieldy seems to have defied the curriculum concocters who add new elements, rarely shaking off or reducing old ones. The editors of The Merck Manual , the present edition of which is the 10th, coming out 60 years after the first edition was published, have cut straight through much of the bewildering and miscellaneous underbrush of innumerable facts to make available where they can be reached almost instantly vast numbers of facts, including new prescriptions, new diseases, charts and tables containing an enormous amount of easily accessible material. Various clinical routines, practical reference tables, immunization schemes, and diets can all be looked up with very little difficulty. Though this book

Peyote and the Definition of Narcotic

W57ITHIN the last few years several American anthropologists have declared that peyote (Lophophora williamsii) should not be called a narcotic (La Barre et al. 1951; Slotkin 1956:50-51). Since this term is frequently applied to peyote, not only in popular contexts but also in anthropological literature (including La Barre 1938), an examination the arguments used to support their position seems justified. Although a considerable number substances used by primitive peoples have been labelled narcotics, there appears to be no definition the term in general use by anthropologists. The designation and stimulants may be found in listings cultural categories, but it is defined for the most part by example (Murdock et al. 1950:27; Notes and Queries 1951:246). Thus, Murdock speaks drugs consumed for non-therapeutic purposes (e.g. tobacco, betel, coca, peyote), while treating alcoholic beverages under a related category. In search more adequate criteria for determining what a narcotic is, the anthropologists concerned with peyote have turned to the precise definitions medicine and pharmacology. They state (La Barre et al. 1951:582) that according to Webster a narcotic is a drug that 'allays sensibility, relieves pain and produces profound sleep' and that according to Merck's Manual, the symptoms drug addiction are increased tolerance and dependence. Since peyote does not produce these effects, they reason that it is not properly called a narcotic.1 Slotkin (1956:50-51) repeats this argument in greater detail and further makes explicit the implication that a narcotic, if frequently consumed, inevitably produces addiction. This approach appears to be gaining acceptance, since it was stated in a recent review in the AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST that of course peyote is not a narcotic (Boyd 1958:214). However, even a brief examination the considerable medical literature on narcotics reveals enough difference opinion that it cannot be relied upon for a positive assertion that peyote is not a narcotic. To be sure, the definition cited from Webster is paralleled in medical dictionaries, and is in accord with the Greek etymology the term. The New Gould Medical Dictionary (1956), for example, defines narcotic as:

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

Medical Journal of AustraliaVolume 1, Issue 18 p. 610-610 Review The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy First published: 01 May 1957 https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1957.tb57521.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume1, Issue18May 1957Pages 610-610 RelatedInformation

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment.

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy | Continue

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy.

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy.

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy

The Merck Manual of Therapeutics and Materia Medica: A Source of Ready Reference for the Physician

The Merck Manual of Therapeutics and Materia Medica: A Source of Ready Reference for the Physician