An ancient, traditional remedy for insomnia—the scent of 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 the

The originator of the argument states that the scent of lavender flower, which has been considered as a medication for insomnia, indeed has this curative effect. This conclusion is buttressed by evidence which should be carefully analyzed in order to give a comprehensive estimation of the argument's soundness.

First of all, we need to look at the sample of the research we are told that the group consisted of 30 volunteers with chronic insomnia. Is the sample representative? Perhaps the answer is "no". Firstly, the reasons of chronic insomnia may be different, does the research take a look at all these reason? Probably only people with one kind of insomnia which caused by one factor decided to participate to this study in this case, the sample does not represent the public and thus usage of the results is limited. Additionally to it, the author avoids giving information about a control group of the research. Without usage of control group, the findings may be attributed only to this specific group or accident and thus the extrapolation of the result of the study about curative effect of lavender flowers on insomnia is unreasonable on all possible cases. The writer might have made the argument stronger had he given us data about a control group and diagnoses of the volunteers which embrace all kinds of insomnia. Till we are not given this information the author's extrapolation is not warranted.

Secondly, even if the study has a representative sample and it has a control group, the author has still failed to rule out other factors which may lead to the result. For instance, we are told that volunteers slept in new environment and they were monitored by electric devices which probably were connected with the bodies of volunteers by cables. Probably, the people have to get used to these new conditions and thus to the third week they manage to feel comfortable in the new conditions. Moreover, the laboratory conditions may not have factors which led to insomnia at home. For example, the controlled room may have a decent air conditioning system or heating one, the rooms probably have a good sound isolation, the volunteers’ apartments of homes probably have no of such facets. Furthermore, were the volunteers told about the flow of the experiment? If the answer is "yes", we may have a deal with patients’ self-curative effect. In other words, if they know that they undergo new medication and they believe in it, the volunteers may aver the improvement because of their expectations. In this case, the usage of the control group especially useful. To sum up, the results of the research may be caused by other unstated factors which were neglected by the originator.

Finally, the author hastily rules out the results of intake of classical sleeping medication. Perhaps it has long-lasting effect and thus even when the volunteers stopped to use the prescribed medication in their bodies were collected enough drug to cure the insomnia. In this case, the usage of a group of people who keep taking the drug and were deprived of it will be useful.

In conclusion, the author of the argument claims that scent of lavender flowers has a curative effect however, the author does not manage to prove that the research was conducted correctly and that the result of the research is caused by the lavender-scented pillows only. Consequently, the argument is unwarranted.