End of two chemical legends – printed Chemical Abstracts and Beilstein and Gmelin databases.

Abstract

Article comments definite end of printed Chemical Abstracts after 103 years of existence as indispensable information source for all chemistry branches. Of course, it does not mean end of this service as such, it continues in electronic forms e.g. CAonCD or SciFinder, but only the end of its printed version. In any case, the total amount of 28 millions abstracts summarizing chemical knowledge harvested during whole 20th century is worth of mentioning anyway. The case of Beistein and Gmelin is different in respect that it is result of changing ownership and to some extend of keeping valuable “trade marks” and not allowing to new owner to use it. But history of these two names is even greater and it is an example as the names of two chemists became the names of two multivolume sets of “Handbucher” known to many generation of practicing chemists. Also in this case both sources continue but under the name of Reaxys database and officially terms Beilstein and Gmelin are part of chemical history.