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The charge against alternative medicine is that it has no effect at all, but D says that it has the effect to bring "hope" to people and this "hope" can cure people in many ways...Hence "alternative medicine has no effect at all" is a false claim.
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Bunuel
Orthodox medicine is ineffective at both ends of the spectrum of ailments. At the more trivial end, orthodox medicine is largely ineffective in treating aches, pains, and allergies, and, at the other extreme, it has yet to produce a cure for serious, life‑threatening diseases such as advanced cancer and lupus. People turn to alternative medicine when orthodox medicine fails to help them and when it produces side effects that are unacceptable to them. One of the reasons alternative medicine is free of such side effects is that it does not have any effects at all.

The charge made above against alternative medicine is most seriously weakened if it is true that


(A) predictions based on orthodox medicine have sometimes failed, as when a patient has recovered despite the judgment of doctors that an illness is fatal

(B) alternative medicine relies on concepts of the body and of the nature of healing that differ from those on which orthodox medicine is based

(C) alternative medicine provides hope to those for whom orthodox medicine offers no cure

(D) a patient’s belief in the medical treatment the patient is receiving can release the body’s own chemical painkillers, diminish allergic reactions, and promote healing

(E) many treatments used for a time by orthodox medicine have later been found to be totallyineffective


IMO -

The charge made against alternate medicine is

One of the reasons alternative medicine is free of such side effects is that it does not have any effects at all.

no side effects = no effects at all -as per the author.


A- Talks about Orthodox medicine - Out.
B-Will keep for now.
C-Out
D-diminish allergic reactions, and promote healing - Which means no side effects , but heals.
E. Restates
So D
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Hi,
Why is B wrong and D right?
We are supposed to weaken the claim by showing that there is some effect of alternative medicine.
But D talks about hope, which is purely dependent on an individual, not the alternative medicine.
Please correct me if I am wrong!!
:D
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Hi,
Why is B wrong and D right?
We are supposed to weaken the claim by showing that there is some effect of alternative medicine.
But D talks about hope, which is purely dependent on an individual, not the alternative medicine.
Please correct me if I am wrong!!
:D

Exactly. Orthodox medicine could also provide hope to patients right? It is subjective then - depending on the person who’s taking the medicine

Posted from my mobile device
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GMAT0010
Hi,
Why is B wrong and D right?
We are supposed to weaken the claim by showing that there is some effect of alternative medicine.
But D talks about hope, which is purely dependent on an individual, not the alternative medicine.
Please correct me if I am wrong!!
:D

B states that Alt medicine relies on ""concepts of the body and of the nature of healing that differ from those on which orthodox medicine is based"". But this doesn't give a reason to believe that alt medicine works; Just beacuse some treatment relies on nature doesn't prove or give us a hint that it will work: it is a pretty huge assumption imo

In D , it is reasonable to assume that the person believes in the alt medicine since the passage states thatPeople turn to alternative medicine when orthodox medicine fails to help them
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nightblade354 , mira93 :

Please explain B and D. I chose B as it says the way we compare the effects in orthodox medicine to those of alternative medicine is not same.
Option D says that patients belief is crucial. How do we know that the patients are believing the alternative medicine and they didn't do orthodox medicine.

regards,
Arup
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Here is a good explanation from Powerscore: https://forum.powerscore.com/lsat/viewtopic.php?t=9377

This basically explains everything I was going to touch on; Scroll down for further information on (D)!

ArupRS, for (B), we have no idea if there are side effects. The claim is that there are no side effects. Does (B) show that there are any? Not unless we assume that ALL forms of medicine have consequences, which is wrong.

If anyone wants a laugh, I was thinking about this the whole time I was reading the passage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH5IMv2jeuk
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