"Whatever the predisposing causes may be in any given case, the
exciting cause is always some infectious material. The colon
bacillus is always present in the lumen of the alimentary canal and,
although it is harmless under normal conditions, when these
conditions arc changed and there is an abrasion, an abnormal
condition of the circulation, or a lack of drainage, it becomes at
once actively pathogenic. With a perfectly normal peritoneum a
considerable quantity of a pure culture of colon bacilli may be
injected into the abdominal cavity without causing any harmful
effect, as has been shown by the experiments of Ziegler, but if
there is any disturbance in the circulation or nutrition of the
peritoneum, the same quantity taken from the same culture will give
rise to a dangerous peritonitis."--Ochsner. [This goes back to the
constitutional derangement. First of all low resistance, then any
exciting cause is sufficient.]

In studying the cause of organic disease, the first thing to
consider is the organ itself. A knowledge of its structure and
function will indicate what diseases it is liable to have--what the
character of the disease must be.

Reason would say that an organ can be deranged in two general ways,
namely: structurally and functionally. In a structural way it may be
impaired either by coming in violent contact with extraneous
objects, or it may be crowded or pressed upon by enlarged or
displaced associate organs. In a functional way the derangement may
be brought about from overwork or underwork. A digestive organ may
be overworked by being given too much food, or food of too
stimulating a quality; or the over-stimulation may come from poisons