[a习作temp] argument51 [复制链接]

happylilywan
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发表于 2010-2-20 15:51:51 |显示全部楼层

本帖最后由 happylilywan 于 2010-2-26 13:34 编辑

第一篇习作请大家帮忙改改
Argument 51
The following appeared in a medical newsletter.

"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keep some patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesis
has now been proved by preliminary results of a study of two groups of patients. The first group of patients, all being treated for muscle injuries by Dr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, took antibiotics regularly throughout their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average, 40 percent quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, all being treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar pills, although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics. Their average recuperation time was not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain would be well advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment."

In this newsletter, the author concludes that patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain should be advised to adopt antibiotics as supplementary treatment. To justify the conclusion, the author cites preliminary results of a study of two groups of patients: patients in first group took antibiotics regularly and they healed 40 percent quicker on average than the others who had been given sugar pills. However, careful consideration reveals many flaws in the ground of argument as well as the deduction itself.

First of all, the author claims that secondary infections can inhibit the severe muscle strain patients from healing quickly on an account of a plausible research result. Even I concede the result is right, there is still no evidence in this argument to convince me that the secondary infections undoubtedly occur on those muscle strain patients. Is there still any necessity for the patients to take antibiotics as part of their treatment if they are not in the least infected? I really concern about that. For that matter, only those patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain as well as secondary infection can be introduced in the experiment.

Secondly, the study of two groups of patients is not strong and persuasive enough to support the hypothesis since the comparison in the experiment is not paralleled in several aspects: on one hand, lacking more specific information of the physical condition of the patients from two groups, it is possible to assume that patients in the first group are generally younger and healthier and they heal naturally quicker than those in the second group do; on the other hand, the experience and capability of the doctor can also become a leading factor to the treatment--doctor in the first group is specialized in sports medicine while the other in the second group is a general physician--the curing methods may differ and so does the treating result. Without ruling out such possibilities, I cannot accept the validity of the study.

Finally, patients in the second group were given sugar pills during the recuperation time, however, the author provides neither data nor statistics to testify that the sugar pills have no effect on the recuperation. Unfortunately, the pills may give rise to some unexpected side-effect, which interferes the responsibility of the experiment. Without accounting for other explanations or providing adequate information, the author cannot assure me of the reliability of the research result.

To sum up, the author's conclusion that all patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain should be well advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment is not well supported as it stands. To bolster it, the author must provide the statistics which illustrate the probability among muscle strain patients to suffer from secondary infection and a scientific research to prove that antibiotics can help the patients heal quicker under the same circumstances. To better assess the problem, I would also need to know the sugar pills used in the control group do not affect the patients.