argument51 最高频 诚心求拍 谢谢

鑫在远方UID: 2778843

TOPIC: ARGUMENT51 - The following appeared in a medical newsletter.
"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keepsome patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesishas now been proved by preliminary results of a study of two groups ofpatients. The first group of patients, all being treated for muscle injuries byDr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, took antibioticsregularly throughout their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average,40 percent quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, allbeing treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar pills,although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics. Their averagerecuperation time was not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients whoare diagnosed with muscle strain would be well advised to take antibiotics aspart of their treatment."
WORDS: 487


In this argument, the author concludes that secondary infections keeppatients from healing and recommends that all muscle strain sufferers beadvised to take antibiotics. To substantiate this recommendation, the authorpoint out an experiment with only two groups involved,
along with thefact that each group was treated by a different doctor with either antibioticsor sugar pills. Well conducteditmay be on the surface, close scrutiny of the process of the experiment revealsthe argument is unconvincing.

First, the threshold assumption upon which the author relies is that thepatients involved are all in the same physical conditions except muscleinjuries. There is a good chance that the first group of patients is younger and suffered less severeinjuries. In that case, the first group is more likely to spend less time in recovery,even without antibiotics. The differences between the two groups，such as age ,gender, the extent of injury, pasthistory of injury should be wiped out, before reaching any conclusion.


Furthermore, the author fails to account for the possible differencebetween the two doctors. One specialized in sportsmedicine, while the other is a general physician. Although both of them areable to cure muscle injuries, the methods used may be different, thus resultingin different outcomes. Considering Dr.
Newland is a specialist of sports medicine, he may have more advantagein curing such disease over Dr Alton. So whether the effect of the first groupis caused by antibiotics is to be called in question.

In addition, the effect of sugar pills is suspicious. The author takesit for granted that sugar pills will not contribute to the curing of thedisease. However, this may not be the case. It is highly possible that the antibiotics didn’t work at all, but it wassugar pills that aggravated injuries. The recuperation time was, as a result,longer than the first group. Without ruling out this possibility, the author'sargument is still dubious at best.

Even if antibiotics do take effect in treating muscle pain, it is farfrom enough to substantiate that secondary infections keep patients fromhealing quickly after severe muscle pain. Antibiotics accelerate the process ofrecuperation, but what stops muscle from healing? Is it sure to be secondaryinfection? Or some other reasons? There is no definite casual relationship between antibiotics and secondaryinfection. Although antibiotics can kill bacteria according to common sense, itdoes not mean the injured muscle have secondary infection.
Without any evidence suggesting all thepatients were infected again after the previous injury, the assertion is unconvincing.

In sum, the argument is untenableasit stands. To strengthen the argument, the author needs to substantiate that the experiment is conducted in acontrolled environment where all other factors affecting recuperation timeremains constant.
Also, he should provide clear evidence that the patients suffered from secondaryinfection, and that antibiotics shortens recuperation time by curing secondary infection.

sharkcc01UID: 2659359

攻击一定要从前提“Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keepsome patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain.”开始，作者一上来就放出了前提，是要首先攻击的，注意到“long suspected"..."seceondary infections"...."severe muscle strain"这三点都是你可以攻击的对象。
不要盲目去攻调查，攻击要有主次之分！

鑫在远方UID: 2778843

谢谢，这是处女作啊:)