Historian: We Can Learn About the Medical History of Individuals Through Chemical Analysis of their Hair

Question: Historian: We can learn about the medical history of individuals through chemical analysis of their hair. It is likely, for example, that Isaac Newton's psychological problems were due to mercury poisoning; traces of mercury were found in his hair. Analysis is now being done on a lock of Beethoven's hair. Although no convincing argument has shown that Beethoven ever had a venereal disease, some people hypothesize that venereal disease caused his deafness. Since mercury was commonly ingested in Beethoven's time to treat venereal disease, if researchers find a trace of mercury in his hair, we can conclude that this hypothesis is correct.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the historian's argument depends?

1. None of the mercury introduced into the body can be eliminated.
2. Some people in Beethoven's time did not ingest mercury.
3. Mercury is an effective treatment for venereal disease.
4. Mercury poisoning can cause deafness in people with venereal disease.
5. Beethoven suffered from psychological problems of the same severity as Newton's.

“Historian We Can Learn About the Medical History of Individuals Through Chemical Analysis of their Hair” - is a GMAT Critical reasoning question. This particular GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book ‘GMAT Prep Plus 2021’. In this particular topic, candidates need to choose the option that best suits the passage. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. Critical reasoning in GMAT requires candidates to find the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, or find the logical flaw in the argument. The GMAT CR section contains 10 -13 GMAT critical reasoning questions out of 36 GMAT verbal questions.

Answer: B
Explanation: A GMAT Critical Reasoning section comprises some facts and arguments. GMAT critical reasoning tests the reasoning abilities of the candidate along with logical and analytical thinking. The candidate has to deduce the correct option by finding the logically correct argument or by eliminating the irrelevant arguments.

Let us check the given assumptions on which the historian's argument depends:

1. Incorrect.
   -Option A says that none of the mercury introduced into the body can be eliminated. This statement is not necessary. All we are looking for are traces of Mercury. Some Mercury could have been eliminated.
2. Correct.
   -We are assuming that at least some people do not ingest Mercury. So Mercury in the body is not normal and not everyone ingests it. This is the correct option.
3. Incorrect.
   -In option C, we don't know whether it is effective or not. We don't need it to be effective. We just know that it was a treatment used in those days. This is not the correct option.
4. Incorrect.
   -Our argument talks about VD causing deafness. Mercury is used for treating VD. We do not NEED to assume that mercury can cause deafness. If we know that Mercury CANNOT causes deafness, that doesn't impact our conclusion.
5. Irrelevant.
   -This statement is Irrelevant. It has no connection to the question.

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