argument167 G-89-互助社-8月12日同主题写作 请拍

jason0926UID: 200697

167.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.


In this argument, the arguer concludes that the scent in lavender flowers has  been proved effective for insomnia. To support the conclusion, the arguer  
points out that a study with 30 volunteers sleeping each night for three weeks on lavender-scented pillows in a controlled room . However, this alone neither constitutes a logical argument in favor of the conclusion nor provides  
compelling support making the argument sound. The arguer ignores certain  
important concerns, which must be addressed to prove. In my point of view, the argument suffers from three flaws.

First of all, the study cited by the arguer is too vague to informative.  
Thirty subjects and three weeks are too suspectable for proving the effect of  
the scent in lavender flowers. Moreover, these people have the same extent ill of chronic insomnia and whether they have not taken other medicines at the  
same time. Furthermore, we do not know who conducted the study, are they  
doctors or experts? If not, the conclusion would be highly unconvincing.

In addition, the arguer fails to point out what the feeling after these people waken in the third week, whether they feel more tired or less? Another  
possibility to explain the reason why they could sleep longer and more soundly is due to they having less sleeps and being too tired in the previous two  
weeks. Because they are too tired, they can sleep longer and more soundly in  
the third week. There is no evidence to show that these subjects feel better  
or less tired after they waken in the third week.

Finally, the research has its own influence on people's sleep. Because of being unfamiliar with the new and unacquainted condition, people may feel nervous and not sleep in time as usual. Along with they being gradually familiar with the circumstance, they do not feel nervous and have slept successfully. Furthermore, did they have some exercises or listen some soft music in this three weeks which is helpful to accelerate good sleep? So we can not confirm whether the scent in lavender flowers has its effect or not.

To sum up, though the argument seems to be plausible, in fact, it neither  
sound nor persuasive. Not only does it leave out such key issues, but also  
cites in the analysis the evidence, which does not lend strong support to what the arguer claims. To make the argument more convincing, the arguer would have to take the following conditions into consideration: have enough evidence to  
prove the validity of the remedy; conduct some convincing studies. If the  
argument includes the given factors discussed above, it would have been more  
thorough and adequate.