ARGUMENT51 [Shining Sep] 作文组 第五次作业

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ARGUMENT51 [Shining Sep] 作文组 第五次作业

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."
WORDS:   466       TIME: 9:04-9:54 AM          DATE: 2006/08/19

The recommendation for all the patients to take antibiotics is unjustifiable in three ways. First, it does not take the severity of the muscle strain into consideration. Second, it is some people, not all the people who may have secondary infections. Third, secondary infection may just be one reason that prevents the patient from healing quickly after the sever muscle strain. Besides, the study of two groups of patients is unpersuasive due to its vague statistics and false analogy.

The hypothesis suggests that only some people who suffer from severe muscle strain may have secondary infections. Therefore the necessity to suggest all the patients, regardless of their conditions, can be put into question. Since the severity of the muscle strain can be different from person to person, the approach of treatment can be quite different. Thus the author should not draw a hasty generalization stating that they should all take the antibiotics. Perhaps some of them have so light a symptom that they can recover very soon even without taking any pills.

Besides, the possibility is that not all the people who have muscle strain will have secondary infections. As stated above, every patient can be different. Perhaps only those who have inferior immune system are likely to have secondary infection. Or perhaps the living condition and nutrition condition have something to do with the secondary infections. It is also possible that only the patients who do not take good care of themselves may suffer from the secondary infections. It just all depends. As the hypothesis states, it may just be one reason that keeps some patients from healing quickly. It means that other possible reason may contribute to the cause of the secondary infections as well. We just do not know.

As for the study, the different doctors specializing in different field proves to be unfair to judge the result of the study. Dr. Newland, who specializes in sports medicine may have a lot of experience treating the muscle strain due to his career, while Dr. Alton, who is a general physician, is not familiar with the treatment of muscle strain and does not abundant knowledge as Dr. Newland. Thus the study itself is misleading in this way. Besides, not only the statistics concerning the study are too vague to be persuasive, but the only two groups can be proved to be unreliable as well.

In conclusion, the argument seems to be reasonable at the first glance proves to be unreliable. The survey would be more persuasive if the patients are categorized into those who are severely injured and those who are lightly injured. Besides, the author should also demonstrate that antibiotics have a real effect on those who suffer severe muscle strain. A better designed study will also be helpful to the argument.