Customer Reviews

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th Edition

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Dubbed the Bible of Medicine, the Merck manual is a book condensed enough to cover all the major aspects of of medicine in a text written that even though is targeted towards health care practitioners, can also be used by that layman. Written first at the end of the 19th century, the manual covers nearly most of everything in the medical field. From why epilepsy occurs to that dreadful itchy rash, the topics are concise, up to the point and easy to understand. Even though a home edition exists, the black book can be used by educated people to know anything they would like to know, with the exception of surgery.

The book is divided into an alphabetical scheme, where all the topics are featured in that order. However that can be confusing as such since the subtopics are not arranged that way. Case in point, if you wanted to search for Candidiasis of the skin, you should not search under C, but S for skin disorders and then follow things through. This can be confusing at first, but then again, this is not an encyclopedia or dictionary of medical terms. The great thing about the book is the way everything is covered in the basic schema of background, signs and symptoms and then therapy. This helps people understand the topic in the right sense and actually makes it stick to your mind for a long time. The book is also good enough to mention the doses of the drugs used to treat an ailment.

No medical clinician should be out there practicing without the Merck Manual on his desk. This is a quick reference that is essential in the day of evidence based medicine and where the patient is educated enough to be a part of his or her treatment plan and not just the silent recepient. The book can be found in the hard copy format and is available for the PALM, which makes it the best reference carried in a doctor's pocket.

Very Highly Recommended!!!

I have purchased every edition of The Merck Manual starting with the 10th edition. They all have been the best medical information resource available at the time.

The new, 17th edition, has surpassed all past editions. The typeface has been improver (made larger), the layout of topics has been changed for the better and the writing style has been made more lay person reader friendly. In sum, the best has got even better.

This book has been a classic and a mirror on medical knowledge
since its first publication in 1899. By studying the various
editions of the very many years it has been in existance, you obtain a look into the past and evolution of human knowledge.
The publication is regularly issued and is now it its 17th edition.

As the very many other reviews have stated it is an incomparable work for its small overall dimensions containing over 2832 pages in an easy to carry design and format. The paper is of high quality, very thin and long lasting capable of withstanding much abuse.

The breadth of the subject matter contained therein is beyond the reach of most other medical books except perhaps the excellent medical text entitled "Wilderness Medicine" authored by Auerbach. However the extremely well done full size Auerbach publication is not something you would carry while the Merck Manual is just for that type of instant reference, easy carry availability.
While the Merck Manual is not and does not pretend to discuss surgery in any depth nor teach any surgical procedures it certainly indicates when surgery is a treatment and does discuss various surgical therapy. An example is Hydrocephalus where within a short space accurate and useful discussion is imparted as to etiology and surgical remedies.
This book also contains excellent chapters on Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacology. This is unusual in a general medical text. There are very few medical conditions not addressed in this publication.
I do not understand why in the United States the Merck Manual is not found on the desk of most physicians. Perhaps its extraordinary overall scope is not as useful as more targeted texts to the specialty practiced. Certainly specialized publications, which Merck is not, are the method to conduct in depth research but to have in such a simple one volume format a fully comprehensive general medical text is a pleasure to possess and use.
Every medical practitioner should own one. For those who love well done books, it makes wonderful recreational reading as does the Auerbach Wilderness Medicine. Another book to keep nearby is DeGowin and Degowin's "Bedside Diagnostic Examination" which easily fits in a coat pocket.
Kenneth Ellman
email:ke@kennethellman.com

As a medical student, whose first exposure to the clinical subjects can be confusing and intimidating, you have a friend in the Merck Manual. The differential diagnoses and signs/symptoms of most disorders are laid out with the detail of textbooks, while cross-referencing many associated disorders. This is a good, concise alternative to other volumes of internal medicine texts.

In my country ( BRAZIL ) as in other parts of the world the Merck Manual is a standard of medical book.
Here in Brazil this books is used as a legal reference in cases of legal judgement of doctors by malpractice.The explanation for this : The Merck Manual has all of a good doctor must to know.
Merck Manual has chapters about every topic in medicine (except surgery).
I think this book very large and almost impossible to read until the end, word by word.But I think is a great book to read about a specific disease of a patient and so expand our compreention of that.
It is a great book to the resident doctor makes a first reading.
This book is very cheap too and I think it is a good acquisition to medical library of medical schools.
A final point : This book is easy to read and understand , a great feature for people of country where the official language is not the english.

This book MUST be in a survivalist library! It is the authoritive guide to identifying, diagnosing and treating human illness. You'll find nearly all the collected current knowledge of modern medicine within these pages.

Along with the Bible, this book is the single most important literary resource you can own. The Merck Manual is broken up into sections categorized along types of afflictions and causes, followed by appropriate treatments. Sometimes the language is clinical and can be difficult to follow without an understanding of the terms but most laymen can grasp enough to administer correct emergency medical care when necessary.

The Merck manual also proves useful when confronting your doctor about your condition or that of a loved one, it enables you to understand the diagnosis and treatment sufficiently to determine if there may be a mistake or a possible side-effect your doctor might not be willing to admit to.

I also recommend "Where there is no Doctor" and "Where there is no Dentist" to accompany this great book.

I got tired of wading through most of my nursing texts trying to find decent explanations of pathophysiology, clinical signs, and treatment. When I got this book I was in awe! Extremely well organized and easy to find the content you're looking for without having to jump to the index. This book has given me a much better understanding of the conditions I've encountered than I was ever able to find in my 50+ pounds of nursing text...

The Merck Manual is an excellent medical reference. I've seen it referred to as "the hypochondriac's bible" before, I suppose because you can find so many symptoms and diseases inside. While it is true that you can search the manual online at no cost, reading from the screen gets pretty tiring and I believe it is well worthwhile to own a hardcopy. More comprehensive than the home edition, the crinkly ultra-thin pages of this book are packed with useful medical information (it really is a lot more than simply a catalog of symptoms and diseases). The Merck Manual has a longstanding tradition as a tremendously valuable resource, and it is an excellent bargain. I believe the 18th edition is due to come out in April 2006.

It's amazing to me that a book like this could still be current. In many ways the Merck Manual is a relic from another age, when doctors had to fit their entire medical libraries and equipment in a stagecoach and specialists were unheard of outside the largest cities.

It remains a wonderful travel reference for the physician, great vacation reading for the medical student, and an affordable way for the educated layman to pursue a personal interest in medicine.

A layman who wants to tackle the Merck Manual in its entirety will need a good college science background and a medical dictionary. While this book is very well written, it is quite dense and often assumes a basic knowledge of the medical sciences.

The Merck manual is probably the only serious medical textbook that is affordable for the general reader. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in medicine--those considering medical school will probably find it especially valuable.

The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th Edition One needs to read this and Merk Physicians' Desk Reference with thoughtfulness, an open mind for learning, and a cautionary attitude knowing that not all information on any topic is entirely relavant to your concern. The PDR,to me,is least useful as other drug descriptions are avaiable if one is concerned with relative few medications. The MMD&T has been a reliable source in my family from before the 4th Edition in 1950. My father was a physician and more than likely started with the 1st Edition years earlier. You should also have access to a medical dictionary as many words/names are relatively unknown to the lay reader. Knowing one word sometimes is the key to understanding the whole presentation in it's proper light. Pray for leading and patience to understand and this technical reference will be of great beneifit. My dad lived to be over 99 and I'm on my way to 82.