【Big Fish】04月11日Argument51-By mseyj

mseyjUID: 2730706

51The 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 letter, the author attempt to claim that all patients who are diagnosed with musle muscle strain should take antibiotics as part of treatment based on a study. At first glance, it appears to be reasonable. However, further analysis tells me that the letter suffers from several logic flaws.

A threshold problem of this letter is about the study that the author neglects some important factors that could greatly influence the results. First, the author has not informed us the physical situation of the patients of two groups. It is quietly possible that patients of the first group are all young and strong, while those of the second group older and weaker ones. Second, the different quality and way of treatment of the two types of doctors may also lead to the different process of curing. A doctor who specializes in sports medicine may know better how to cure patients suffering from muscle strain than a general physician do. In addition, we are not informed whether the sugar given to patients in the second group could cause a by-product retarding the recuperation. All these cases, if true, may definitely cause the disparity of the two groups.

Another fundamental problem that undermines this letter is that the writer draw a hasty conclusion that all patients who suffer from muscle strain should be well advised to take antibiotics. However, lacking evidence that the antibiotics may do goods for all of this kind of patients, the author's claim is unjustifiable. And he neglects the potential side effect of the antibiotics medicine. For example, some patients may be allergic to the medicine. In this case, a more serious result may be brought out that the medicine prevents the patients from healing quickly.

To make this letter more convincing, the author should rule out all the alternatives that may affect the recuperation time of patients apart from except the antibiotics. An investigation about the possible by-product of antibiotics also should be taken.