0910AW 同主题写作第七期 ARGUMENT167 by xoxlol

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argument167. A folk remedy* for insomnia, the scent in lavender flowers, has now been proved effective. In a recent study, 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia slept each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room where their sleep was monitored. During the first week, volunteers continued to take their usual sleeping medication. They slept soundly but wakened feeling tired. During the second week, the volunteers discontinued their medication. As a result, they slept less soundly than the previous week and felt even more tired. During the third week, the volunteers slept longer and more soundly than in the previous two weeks. This shows that over a short period of time lavender cures insomnia.

*A folk remedy is usually a plant-based form of treatment common to traditional forms of medicine, ones that developed before the advent of modern medical services and technology.

这篇写得很有问题，猛拍吧！谢谢谢谢！

The author made a hasty conclusion that the scent in lavender flowers cures insomnia based on a three weeks' study. A close examination reveals the argument's logical flaws and invalidity.

To begin with, the result of first two weeks' study has only proven effectiveness of sleeping medication. There were very obviously different results coming out between first two weeks, while volunteers took their usual sleeping medication in the first week and stopped doing so in the second week. Since the only difference is taking and not taking sleeping medication, then result of first two weeks has only further proven the effectiveness of sleeping medication and had almost nothing to do with proving effectiveness of lavender. Moreover, they slept on lavender pillows during both weeks and wakened feeling tired throughout the period, therefore, lavender pillow may undermine people's sleeping quality. Thus, the effectiveness of lavender in curing insomnia is no where to be seen in the first two weeks.

Another weak link of this argument lies in the study of third week. Firstly, no information shows whether the volunteers have taken sleeping medication or not in third week. So the longer and more soundly sleep could be a result of sleeping medication rather than lavender pillow. Assumingly, they did not take sleeping medication, but it is entirely possible that volunteers were sent right to a good sleep by the exhaustion from previous two weeks. In other words, the seemingly better sleep might be only a compensation for the huge loss of sleep in the first two weeks. Thirdly, no information about how volunteers felt when waking up in the third week. If they felt even more tired than they did in first two weeks, then it only further confirms the suspicion that lavender pillow actually causes adverse consequence. In this case, the assumption that lavender cures insomnia is unwarranted at best.

Last, even lavender pillow helped volunteers sleep better but it does not necessarily imply it could cure chronic insomnia. The study only showed how well volunteers slept instead of how long it took for them to fall asleep, which is insufficient to prove the effectiveness of lavender in curing insomnia, since people with insomnia usually struggle quite long before they can fall asleep, if they can at all. Assumingly, lavender indeed helped insomnia patient fall sleep easier, it does not apple to the conclusion that it cures this disease. No follow－up of the study is provided in this argument, which cultivates possibility that patients may still have difficulty in falling asleep without external help like sleeping medication or lavender pillow. Additionally, considering insomnia is a serious chronic disease, is three weeks long enough to lead credit to the effectiveness of lavender? Volunteers may suffer a relapse from a temporary wellness. In short, it is still not convincing to say lavender cures insomnia.

To sum up, further research and more convincing proof is in need to confirm the effectiveness of lavender in curing insomnia, otherwise the author's conclusion is invalid and even misleading.