Definitely, a victory 小组第1次作业 Argument 51 By9号wdx19861106

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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."

医生长期以来怀疑严重肌肉扭伤后的二次感染妨碍了一些患者迅速康复。这一假说现在被一项对两组患者的研究的初步结果所证实。第一组患者全部由专攻运动医学的Dr. Newland治疗肌肉损伤，他们在疗程中经常服用抗生素。他们的康复期平均比通常预期的快40％。第二组患者由综合医师Dr. Alton治疗，他们被给予糖丸，而患者相信他们在服用抗生素。他们的平均康复时间没有明显缩短。因此，任何被确诊为肌肉损伤的患者应被建议服用抗生素作为辅助治疗。

In this argument, the arguer concludes that the antibiotics can help the recuperation of muscle strain. And this conclusion is proved by a preliminary and simple experiment. I find this argument logically unconvincing in several respects.

First of all, in the experiment, there are two different doctors in different group. That is a doctor who is specializes in sports medicine, the other is a general physician. Everyone knows that in the sport it is easy to make muscle injuries, a doctor who is specializes in this respect may very family with this situation and can deal with it in the right way soon, and will give the right recommendation, which will help the patients recuperate quickly. In the contrast, a general physician, who may just know a little in muscle strain and also know a little in many respects, may haven’t deal with the muscle strains before this experiments, and do you think this doctor can give the
patients applicable suggests? And this different condition will affect the result of the experiment.

Secondly，in the statement, we don’t know whether all of the patients, who joined in the experiment, are have the same degree injuries. If not, there must be have different recuperation times. And maybe the ones in the first group are not as serious as the second group, this will influence the recovery time of the patients. Finally, the experiment does not give the evidence of the relationship between the secondary infections and the muscle strain. Maybe they are two irrelevant things, if so the patients have antibiotics or not will not affect the recuperation time.

In sum, there are not enough definitely evidences to support the speaker’s statement. If the speaker wants to support his viewpoint, the experiment must improved and add some measures to remedy the shortage of the old one.