Argument38【0710G Victors互助小组】第6次作业

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Argument38
The following memo appeared in the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health Council.

"An innovative treatment has come to our attention that promises to significantly reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces. A study reports that in nearby East Meria, where fish consumption is very high, people visit the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of colds. Clearly, eating a substantial amount of fish can prevent colds. Since colds are the reason most frequently given for absences from school and work, we recommend the daily use of Ichthaid, a nutritional supplement derived from fish oil, as a good way to prevent colds and lower absenteeism."


The arguer asserts that the daily use of Ichthaid is a good way to prevent colds, thus leading to lowering absenteeism. It seems that the argument is sound and convincing as it stands at first glance, while we could find many flaws in it if we take further consideration.

In the first place, the arguer’s statement that eating a substantial amount of fish can prevent colds merely based on the number that people visit the doctor and the consumption of fish is unconvincing. As is known to all, cold is rather common illness all over the world and most of the people would prefer to store some non-prescription drugs to cure for themselves when it’s not heavy. In this case, many people would not go for a doctor unless the condition is out of control or the drugs that they had stored were used up. So the time a person goes to the doctor could hardly represent the real number of time that he got cold.

Meanwhile, there is no given evidence to demonstrate the cause and effect relationship between eating fish and preventing cold. We absolutely believe that there is high consumption of fish in the east Meria, but there is no reason for us to relate two single things. It is very likely that some other factors such as the geographical location or just the water they drink serve as the real reason for the possible drop of cold, and eating fish actually has noting to do with it at all.

In the second place, the arguer simply equals the use of Ichthaid with eating fish, which could be essentially wrong. Presume that eating fish do will prevent catching cold, it is clear that certain material in the fish body has effect on the cold pathogen. But the means to get Ichthaid could be a complicated procedure during which the effective material might have been broken up. So it is irrational to say that the use of Ichthaid has the same effect as eating fish.

Finally, reducing absenteeism through decreasing the possibility of catching cold seems to be rational but might not work at all. It is a good pretext of illness to be absent from work or study which most people would like to chose cold for its common. In this case, even the method is really effective to prevent people from catching cold, absenteeism would stay as usual since people could make other pretext.

In sum, the mere facts that the arguer presents are insufficient to arrive at the conclusion that the use of Ichthaid is a good way to prevent colds and lower absenteeism. To bolster it the author should give the evidence that Ichthaid surly could act on cold and also make it certain that those who are absent from school and work because of cold are sure in ill.

[ 本帖最后由 唐诗三百首 于 2007-6-10 00:08 编辑 ]