You have been asked to write an essay about the use of alternative medicine to treat cancer.
Which of the following contains the best thesis statement and supporting ideas for this essay?
Thesis statement:
All medicine was alternative before it was mainstream.
Supporting details:
1. Dr. Ignaz Semmelweiss, the man who first proposed that surgeons should wash their hands and instruments between patients, was fired because the other doctors were offended by his suggestions. It takes time before new ideas are accepted in medicine.
2. Many old folk remedies, like drinking tree bark teas for pain or treating wounds with leeches, are now used in conventional medicine.
3. Many hospitals are beginning to offer programs in nutrition, yoga, and meditation.
Thesis statement:
My position is that alternative medicine is a scam.
Supporting details:
1. Everyone says that Steve Jobs, who founded Apple, would be alive today if he'd treated his cancer with surgery instead of diet and acupuncture.
2. Most information about alternative treatments is found on the internet.
3. Survival rates for many cancers are going up, which is proof that conventional medicine works.