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abi-gail
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电梯直达

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发表于 2009-6-24 21:08:18 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

本帖最后由 abi-gail 于 2009-7-10 21:48 编辑

TOPIC: ARGUMENT167 - A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia.

*A folk remedy is usually a plant-based form of treatment common to traditional forms of medicine, ones that developed before the advent of modern medical services and technology.

By comparing the sleeping results of 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia for 3 weeks, the author draws a conclusion that the short-term folk remedy of using lavender scent to cure insomnia is verified. Nonetheless, the author neglects several possible factors that would weaken his reasoning, and they are as follows.

First and foremost, the sample number and the time span are likely to be insufficient to prove such conclusion. With only 30 subjects, the assumption of the whole image of lavender remedy is unsteady, since there could be millions of insomnia patients within the nation. We also doubt whether the volunteers are chosen according to a rather scientific criteria, and their value of being compared. The volunteers, though bear chronic insomnia, may not be representative, for their state of illness are mostly mild. As for the patients with severe insomnia, the remedy may not be as effective as on the volunteers. To make up for the conclusion, the author should make sure the subjects are randomly chosen and representative of all levels of insomnia. Still, I reckon the time span is too limited for the researchers to obtain the true result. Although the remedy shows positive impact on the patients, its effect may soon fade away in the weeks to come, and the researchers miss that point. Even given longer time, the author should continue to monitor the patients sleep in order to further certify his theory.

Furthermore, the patients shown sound sleep in the third week which is in contrast to that in the second week fails to be a testament to the remedial effect of the treatment. It is entirely possible that it is exactly because of their lack of sleep in the second week that results in the rather sound sleep in the following week. And it is possible that the patients experience sort of anxiety in the first two weeks, since the testing lab is strange to them. Yet, this distress gradually diminishes during the former two weeks and they become accustomed to the new environment. Moreover, while the author presents information about the patients wake up feelings in the former two weeks, this message is vacant in the third week. The cure of insomnia not only covers the sleeping quality but also involves the patients’ wake-up feelings. Without such materials, we doubt the auspicious results the author staged.

Last but not least, as a folk remedy, the lavender scent may not be “amicable” to every patient. Some patients may simple be allergic to herbal scent, and the very smell of it will bother their sleep rather than cure them. And we should be cautious while using these folk remedies in that we very often have piles of experience records rather than credulous scientific analysis.

In sum, the author should present a more reliable sample and continue his observation for a long enough span. And certain awareness of risk is needed. What’s more, he should look into factors like environmental anxiety and effects of previous experiment, which shaken his reasoning, before he jump into the conclusion.

燃烧亿万年的光总有一天传达到要到达的地方

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smollstone
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沙发

发表于 2009-6-30 08:24:08 |只看该作者

1# abi-gail

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hdxhz
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板凳

发表于 2009-6-30 10:14:09 |只看该作者

By comparing the sleeping results of 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia for 3 weeks, the author draws a conclusion that the short-term folk remedy of using lavender scent to cure insomnia is verified. Nonetheless, the author neglects several possible factors that would weaken his reasoning, and they are as follows.

First and foremost, the sample number and the time span are likely to be insufficient to prove such conclusion. With only 30 subjects, the assumption of the whole image of lavender remedy is unsteady, since there could be millions of insomnia patients within the nation. We also doubt whether the volunteers are chosen according to a rather scientific criteria, and their value of being compared. The volunteers, though bear chronic insomnia, may not be representative, for their state of illness are mostly mild. As for the patients with severe insomnia, the remedy may not be as effective as on the volunteers. To make up for the conclusion, the author should make sure the subjects are randomly chosen and representative of all levels of insomnia. Still, I reckon the time span is too limited for the researchers to obtain the true result. Although the remedy shows positive impact on the patients, its effect may soon fade away in the weeks to come, and the researchers miss that point. Even given longer time, the author should continue to monitor the patients sleep in order to further certify his theory.
呵呵，我倒是认为不要先攻击他的调查。即使攻击，可以后面一笔带过。主要的逻辑错误要着重攻击，次要的可说可不说
Furthermore, the patients shown sound sleep in the third week which is in contrast to that in the second week fails to be a testament to the remedial effect of the treatment. It is entirely possible that it is exactly because of their lack of sleep in the second week that results in the rather sound sleep in the following week.（这个我倒是没想过） And it is possible that the patients experience sort of anxiety in the first two weeks, since the testing lab is strange to them. Yet, this distress gradually diminishes during the former two weeks and they become accustomed to the new environment. Moreover, while the author presents information about the patients wake up feelings in the former two weeks, this message is vacant in the third week. The cure of insomnia not only covers the sleeping quality but also involves the patients’ wake-up feelings. Without such materials, we doubt the auspicious results the author staged.

Last but not least, as a folk remedy, the lavender scent may not be “amicable” to every patient. Some patients may simple be allergic to herbal scent, and the very smell of it will bother their sleep rather than cure them. And we should be cautious while using these folk remedies in that we very often have piles of experience records rather than credulous scientific analysis.
（哈哈，这个也没想过，可行性分析。不过既然study中间没有提到过敏问题，是不是可以把他认为是一个小的flaw呢？）

In sum, the author should present a more reliable sample and continue his observation for a long enough span. （我认为对照组的设置更加重要，否则再怎么观察也不能得到结论吧）And certain awareness of risk is needed. What’s more, he should look into factors like environmental anxiety and effects of previous experiment, which shaken his reasoning, before he jump into the conclusion. 1# abi-gail