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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 the newsletter presented above, the author recommends all patients diagnosed with muscle strain be advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment. To support the recommendation, the author cites a study in which one group of patients treated with antibiotics by a doctor named Dr, Newland who specialized in sports medicine and therefore recovered quicker than expected and another group of patients treated with sugar pills rather than antibiotics by a general physician Dr. Alton and subsequently short recuperation time. However, the argument suffers from several logical fallacies as stated below.

The author cites the study of these two groups of patients to substantiate the conclusion that secondary infections keep patients from recuperate quickly. However, the author fails to demonstrate the credit of the study. For example, the author provides no information about how many patients took part in the study, what condition is that with their muscle strain, and the age range of these patients. Without these further information stated above, it is entirely possible that the patients in the first group were all young adults with less severe muscle strain, while on the other hand, the patients in the second group were old people who suffered from severe muscle strain. Therefore, the author can not rely on the study to substantiate the conclusion.

Secondly, the author fails to take the differences of the treatment between these two groups into consideration. Given that Dr. Newland is a doctor specialized in sports medicine, it is possible that Dr. Newland is more familiar and sufficient acquainted with the treatment of muscle strain. In contrary, Dr. Alton who is a general physician, lacked the experience of treating patients with muscle strain. Moreover, the author fails to provide what else differences existed in the treatment of the two groups. Perhaps the patients in the first group did regular exercises and took other supplement which might lead to the short period of recuperation, while the patients in the second group only took sugar pills which might do harm to their recuperation.

Another question is that the author’s recommend all patients suffer form muscle strain to take antibiotics in order to recover quickly, regardless the condition of certain muscle strain. Even if the study cited can support the conclusion that antibiotics can help patients prevent secondary infections thus patient with severe muscle strain can recover from illness quickly, it does not necessarily mean that the recuperation of all degrees of muscle strain can be help by taking antibiotics. Furthermore, it is possible that antibiotics can only enable patients with primary infections to prevent secondary infections so that they can recover from muscle strain quickly, not those who without primary infections.

In sum, the author fails to provide enough evidence and convincing reasons to support the recommendation, which make the argument dubious at best. Without better and further information about the actual effect including side effect of antibiotics have on the patients with all levels of muscle strain, I cannot simply accept the argument as it stands.