【TRANSFORMER】_ARGU51_0808

blade134UID：2328542

51 The following appeared in a medical newsletter.

"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keep somepatients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesis hasnow 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 antibioticsregularly throughout their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average,40 percent quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, allbeing treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar pills,although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics. Their averagerecuperation time was not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients whoare diagnosed with muscle strain would be well advised to take antibiotics as partof their treatment."

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blade134UID：2328542

貌似发贴超过50以后就不用每次都填写校验码了，爽

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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."
WORDS: 466          TIME: 00:30:00          DATE: 2009-8-8 17:46:53

By citing the study, which is composed by two groups of patients, one is treated by Dr. Newland and taking antibiotics regularly in their treatment and therefore their recuperation time is 40 percent quicker, another group is treated by Dr.Aton and taking sugar pills as a treatment, the author concludes that patients are able to be cured completely and fastly by antibiotics and consequently all patients with muscle strain are suggested to take antibiotics. The argument seems to sound on the surface, however, the author fails to consider other factors to evaluate the situation.

To begin with, the author unjustly assumes that the shorter recuperation time of the first group is attributable to antibiotic. Perhaps other factors instead of antibiotic can illustrate the reason. We are informed that the first group is treated by a specializing in sports medicine doctor named Dr.Newland, meanwhile the second group is treated by a general physician called Dr.Alton. Is it possible that Dr.Newland is inclined to better deal with the secondary muscle injuries but Dr.Alton is not? The author does not present us the specific information of these two groups, is it probable that the first groups' infections is minor than the second groups, thus the first group is more likely to be cured?

In addition, even if the quicker cure time of the first group who has muscle injuries, is due to antibiotic, the author can not assume that antibiotic can be utilize on other patients suffering muscle strain. The author neglects the possibility that antibiotic may bring beneficial to cure muscle injuries but do not have such effects on cure muscle strain. The author also overlooks the possibility that the people in the study is ones who lives in a good environment, and has a good physical body while the patients outside the study is not, so the antibiotic is special helpful to the patients involved in study rather than other patients. In the face of limited evidence, I can not accept the author's conclusion that all patients needs to take antibiotics.

What's more, the author overlooks the harmful influence of antibiotics. The antibiotic may have side affects. If patients take it too much, they are possible to suffer from insomnia, inappetence and mental fatigue. Perhaps there is no obvious symptom after they take the antibiotics in the short run, nonetheless, some potential disease may occur on these people in the long term. Owing to antibiotics’ possible side affects, the patients should take it with the doctors’ advice carefully.

To sum up, the argument suffers from several fallacies. To make the argument more convincing, the author should provide us more detail information of two groups in study. To better access the argument, the author must tell us whether antibiotis has side affects. If the author had showed the information given above, I can accept the conclusion that all patients with muscle strain are encourage to take the antibiotics.