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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: 290          TIME: 0:30:00          DATE: 2006-8-8

The arguer suggests that all patients should take anti-biotic when they are diagonosed with muscle strain. The arguer also cites an  comparing experiment to support his suggestion. The process of the arguer's reasoning seems logic, howevver, the details of the experiment are open to suspection. Besides, suggesting the therapy too all the patients is too hasty. These factors render the arguer's suggestoin unconvincing, as will discussed below.

Firtslt, the arguer fails to provide enough information to prove that the patients in Dr. Newland's treatment are comparible to those in Dr Alton's treatment. Perhaps the two groups of patients suffer different injuries, or maybe they are not in the same age group, or the recovering suggestions provided by two doctors are not the same. These possibilities can all determine the recovery time of the patients. Without ruling out such possibilities, the experiment that the arguer cites can not lend strong support to the arguer's claim.

Seconly, the arguer too hastly reccomends all the patients diagonosed with a muscle strain should take in antibiotic. But he overlooks there are different levels of such injury. Even if the experiment is sound taken, we are not sure that if every patient recovers more quickly after taking in antibiotic. It si quite possible that antibiotic is only suitble for a certain age group of people with certain levels of injury. Before making these details clear, suggesting to all the patients is irresponsible and may be harmful to certain patients.

In sum, the arguer's recommedation is questionable and should not be taken seriously. To better analysis the effect of antibiotic in the recovery of muscle-strain patients. Further experiments with more sophisticated and detailed will be needed. Beside, the side-effect of the drug should be considered too!