ARG51第一次写 好心人帮忙看下需要改进的地方 心里没底 发过一次不知道为什么没了

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT51 - 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 argument, the author draws a conclusion that all patients who suffer muscle strain should take antibiotics and secondary infections lead to preventing patients from recuperation of muscle strain. To support this claim, the author cites a preliminary study of two groups of people. In view of logical flaws in crucial respects under close scrutiny, this argument does not hold water.

First, the author overlooks the reliability of this preliminary study and unfairly concludes that it can prove the hypothesis that secondary infections impact the healing of patients who have muscle strain. There is no proof that secondary infections will indeed occur to patients who suffer muscle strain, or that those patients are prone to get secondary infections, hence interfering quick recuperation. Aside from the above, the two groups of patients have the muscle strain of different severity, and that their physical conditions are not absolutely similar accounting for their ages, sex or other reasons. Unless the author can offer sufficient evidence to show that the two groups of people are appropriate samples, it is hasty to conclude that this study is convincing.

Second, even if the study is reliable, the author assumes that taking antibiotics is desirable based on the evidence that the recuperation time of the first group is quicker than expected and there is almost no effect in the second group on their recuperation time. The argument still lacks evidence to justify that taking antibiotics is the effective way to treat the muscle strain. Perhaps taking sugar pills may have some side effects that hinder the recuperation, or perhaps the average recuperation time was a rough data that cannot reflect patients' real recuperation time. Without ruling out all other such factors, it is groundless to prove that taking antibiotics is helpful to the muscle strain.

Third, even assuming that the divergent recuperation time of the two groups stands the ground, other possibilities may lead to the disparity. For instance, since the two doctors specialize in different fields of medicine, accordingly, they may have different ways of treatment. Besides, the author put forward no evidence that such two doctors have the same experience in treating muscle strain because it is likely that Dr. Newland, a sports medicine doctor, is more proficient in treating muscle strain than Dr. Alton, a general physician. The author cannot fairly justify that taking antibiotics is advisable to be part of the muscle strain treatment.

Finally, the author infers that all patients need antibiotics to recover from muscle strain, while there is no evidence to prove that antibiotics can take effect on or apply to every patient. It is possible that some patients are allergic to antibiotics, or that some of them refuse to accept antibiotics as their treatment considering certain aftereffects. Without accounting for other possibilities, the author cannot convince me that taking antibiotics can be applied to all the patients.

To sum up, the argument concludes too hastily that patients who suffer muscle strain should take antibiotics to facilitate the recuperation. To substantiate it, the author must assure me that the results of the study are reliable, and the two groups of patients are of the same physical conditions and other indispensable factors. To better evaluate this argument, the author must also offers sufficient evidence that doctors have the same background or experience in treating muscle strain, and patients are willing or suitable to treat the disease by taking antibiotics.