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Argument 38
The following memo appeared in the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health Council.
"An innovative treatment has come to our attention that promises to significantly reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces. A study reports that in nearby East Meria, where fish consumption is very high, people visit the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of colds. Clearly, eating a substantial amount of fish can prevent colds. Since colds are the reason most frequently given for absences from school and work, we recommend the daily use of Ichthaid, a nutritional supplement derived from fish oil, as a good way to prevent colds and lower absenteeism."


According to the argument ,based on a study in nearby East Meria, the fish consumption is high, which is the reason why people visit the doctor for the treatments of colds only once or twice a year. Consequently ,the author concludes that eating fish can prevents colds. Moreover, the author points out that the most frequency reason for absences from school and work are colds, the author believes that preventing colds is a good way to lower absenteeism. Also, the author recommends that the daily use of Ichthaid ,which is a nutritional supplement derived from fish oil is a good way to prevent colds. However, there are several facets in this argument which are open to question.

First of all, the generality and the reliability of the study is questionable.
The argument mentions that the study was conducted nearby East Meria(EM), however, how the study was carried out? Is it conducted randomly or by a certain of people? And how many people were involved in the study? can the result represent for the true situation in EM? All of these are open to question, and author provide us with no evidence about it. besides, the author claims that people went to visit the doctor for treatments of colds once or twice a year, it is possible that people do not go for the doctors every time they caught a cold, they may caught colds many times a year, and for some reasons, like the hospital is far away, the fee is high, or the severity is low, they went for doctor only once or twice a year.
Moreover, there is a lack of evidence or explanation that there is no other reasons for the citizens’ not catching cold.
It may because of the climate, or the environment , or the living habits that the local citizens’ seldom catching cold.

Even assuming that the citizens with a high fish consumption will catch cold less frequently, however, absenteeism
can not be lowered if people not catch cold can not be induced. The author did not provide us with enough statistics about how many people absent because of real colds ,and how many just take cold as a excuse?if people want to absent on purpose, without the excuse of catching colds, they may think of other reasons, like stomach ache or headache or catching a fever.

Additionally, the author recommends the daily use of Ichthaid, which is a nutritional supplement derived from fish oil, is a substitute of fish. However, the author do not give us enough evidence of whether the Icht can substitute fish, after all ,eating fish is quite different from eating Ichthaid, from fish oil. The author should provide some survey about the Ichthaid and fish, in order to prove we can use it as a substitute.
In sum, the author lack evidence in several parts, and the author should provide more evidence on the reliability of the study and the reason of absenteeism and a good survey of the Ichthaid.