Talk:ambicide

RFV discussion: September 2016–March 2017
. One Google Books hit looks like it might be ok. The rest seem to refer to a product Ambicide. "Flagyl is a safe and very effective oral ambicide that reaches all body tissues." obviously refers to something else, but I'm not sure what. Renard Migrant (talk) 23:45, 12 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Added one cite for the alt spelling. Found another set of uses related to medicine. DTLHS (talk) 00:22, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
 * I'm aware that this is pure speculation, but I wonder if that usage of ambicide is a typo for amicide, as ambicide with an additional b makes no sense. As far as I know there's no variant at all of with a b, and if there is one, it must be extraordinarily rare. Renard Migrant (talk) 17:28, 13 September 2016 (UTC)
 * I'm inclined to agree with Renard Migrant, given that all other citations I find are for the antimicrobial meaning. Kiwima (talk) 19:12, 13 September 2016 (UTC)


 * It's an error for amebicide: amoeba-killer. Equinox ◑ 16:48, 14 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Original, RFVed sense failed; other sense passed. - -sche (discuss) 04:43, 18 March 2017 (UTC)

RFV discussion: March–June 2017
The current definition is "An antimicrobial that attacks more than one type of organism (such as both bacteria and protozoa)." Equinox above said "It's an error for amebicide: amoeba-killer." All the medications in the quotations are potentially amebicides. Can we find unambiguous uses that support the current definition? DTLHS (talk) 04:47, 18 March 2017 (UTC)


 * That's a pretty big ask, as most ambicides may have some effect on amoebic infections. However, my son, who did his masters thesis on antimicrobials, assures me that the current definition is correct. For example, Metronidazole, mentioned in the third quote, is used here regularly for surgical patients, and not because they are routinely worried about amoebic infections.Kiwima (talk) 19:24, 18 March 2017 (UTC)


 * It's fortunate that we have access to that kind of expertise, otherwise it would be difficult indeed to answer this question/request. I tried searching for works that might mention both ambicide and amebicide (which, if the context supported this conclusion, could provide evidence that they were different), but found none. Another idea is to check if there are any ambicides that kill two things, neither of which is an amoeba. Wikipedia does say "Metronidazole [...] is an antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication", killing two things. [ispub.com/IJS/18/1/11990 This website], Primary Pyogenic Liver Abscess: Current Treatment Options, says "In the treatment of an amebic liver abscess, metronidazole is the amebicide of choice. [...] For cases that fail to respond to therapy with ambicides, closed drainage [...]"; whereas, another website says "Mixed ambicide - Flagyl Selectively toxic for amebae and anaerobic bacteria and for anoxic and hypoxic cells." So, some uses may indeed be typos while others are indeed ambi- (two-) -cide. Ugh. Another idea is to look for spoken citations, perhaps in interviews with doctors. - -sche (discuss) 22:05, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

After further research, I have removed the first citation, of an article titled Two New Preparations, because I can also find the same text, Two New Preparations, in Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews (1915), as "Boremetine is a one-half per cent solution of Emetine Hydrochloride (an amebicide) and Boric Acid (a bactericide). The preparation is recommended in the local treatment of pyorrhea." Furthermore, the 1915 Nursing World rephrases things a bit and uses adjectives: "Boremetine is a one-half per cent solution of emetine hydrochloride, together with boric acid, zinc sulphocarbolate and aromatics. The emetine is amebicidal, the boric acid bactericidal, and the zinc sulphocarbolate astringent. So, that citation seems to be a typo. I have also removed the second citation, because this edition has "amebicides". I cannot find the third citation anymore, Some writers/speakers may intentionally use ambi- "two", but apparently not often enough to meet CFI. - -sche (discuss) 20:10, 30 April 2017 (UTC)
 * RFV-failed. - -sche (discuss) 19:53, 16 June 2017 (UTC)