Argument
In this argument the director of a large group of hospitals has recommended that all hand washing stations through out the hospital system use Nadasept. The recommendation appears to be convincing in a glance. However, a close scrutiny of the argument reveals several critical flaws that undermine the authenticity of the argument and render it untenable. Firstly, the director has referred to a laboratory study as evidence of effectiveness of Nadasept. However, the antibacterial soap used in the study was a concentrated solution of Nadasept. The memo provides no information that in daily routine the concentrated or the normal solution of the Nadasept will be used. This is important because the lesser the strength of the solution the lesser is its antibacterial quality. Hence, if the hospital uses normal or diluted solution, the antibacterial action of that solution may be equal or lower than the antibacterial action of the liquid hand soap currently used by the hospital. Secondly, the director has quoted the trial conducted at the hospital in Saluda as proof of effectiveness of the soap. However, the memo provides no evidence that the hospital in Saluda is representative of all the other hospitals in the group.