我的argument51，第一篇篇，诚恳请教求拍！！

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51 The following appeared in a medicalnews letter.                                                                                                              
     "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."


The notion that taking antibiotics can help patients with muscle strain healing quicker seems on the surface to be an obvious conclusion. To support it, the author cites the results of a study that the recuperation time of patients who took antibiotics were much shorter than that of those who did not. Close scrutiny, however, reveals some hidden flaws as follows in his/her reasoning.

First, there is distinct weakness and defect in the sample of the study. The results of the experiment cannot be a convincing evidence unless the arguer gives more details to prove that the sample is sufficiently large in size and representative of all the patients. If the subjects of the study are all male adults, the antibiotics may have no effects on children and women.

Ever assuming that the sample is reliable, the way of the experiment is not scientific and discreet because the arguer overlooks other factors which will contribute to the recuperation time. Maybe the Dr.Newland who are more experienced and professional in sports medicine took more effective methods on the first group patients than the general physician, Dr.Alton did. Or maybe the first group were arranged in a quality sickroom which brought them active mentality in that they recovered in a shorter time.
Besides, another fundamental problem is that the study cannot explain and prove the hypothesis addressed in the beginning in full because that there are no evidence showed these subjects of the test had secondary infections. So without the evidence that the patients had secondary infections, it's hasty to conclude that the study demonstrate the hypothesis and recommend all patients with muscle strain to take antibiotics.

What's more, the argument fails to rule out the posibility that the antibiotics may bring about some side effects. So antibiotics cannot contribute to the treatment of the people who are allergic to it,and even may cause other serious complication.

In sum, the recommendation for using antibiotics on treatment of muscle strain is not well supported. To convince me that taking antibiotics is indeed a effective methods, the author must give more details to prove that the sample of the study is sufficient and the two group are in the same conditions except for the using of antibiotics.