Merck's Manual (1899 facsimile)

Historical Significance: This is a facsimile of the first ediiton of Merck's manual that was published in 1899. The facsimile was produced to commemorate the centenary of the manual. It was published as a complimentary issue with the 10th edition 1999. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy is probably the most widely used general medical textbook in the world. It is the oldest continuously published medical textbook in the English language. Seventeen editions of The Merck Manual have been published since 1899 as a non-profit service to the scientific community by Merck & Co., Inc., a pharmaceutical manufacturer. More than 10 million copies have been sold worldwide in 16 languages. In the facsimile tobacco is listed as a possible treatment for asthma and also was listed as a suggested treatment for nymphomania "so as to cause nausea; effectual, but depressing." In 1899, The Merck Manual cost $1.00, about the equivalent of a week's worth of groceries: two dozen eggs, three pounds of flour, one pound of bacon, one pound of butter, 10 pounds of potatoes, and a one-pound round steak. In 1999 it cost $35, far less than a week's groceries.