When Zhu Xinzong's ancestral home was in Tongcheng, a relative had a woman who had been pregnant and near delivery for seven days, yet the child could not be born. All medicines, talismans, and water therapies had been used, leaving them to simply await death. The famous physician Li Jidao happened to be staying at Mr. Zhu's residence. Mr. Zhu led him to the woman's house to examine her. Li Jidao said, "For this condition, all hundred herbs are ineffective; only acupuncture might work. However, my skills have not reached that level, so I dare not attempt it." He then returned. Meanwhile, Li Jidao's teacher, Pang Anchang, happened to pass by the door, so they went together to visit Mr. Zhu. Mr. Zhu explained the situation, saying, "The family dares not trouble you personally, but human life is of utmost importance. Would you not spare the trip to save her?" Pang Anchang agreed and went with him. As soon as he saw the pregnant woman, Pang Anchang loudly exclaimed, "She will not die!" He instructed her family to warm her waist and abdomen with hot water. Pang Anchang used his hands to massage her body up and down. The pregnant woman felt slight pain in her intestines and stomach, and amidst groaning, gave birth to a male infant. Both mother and child were safe. The family was overjoyed and surprised, kowtowing in gratitude and treating him like a deity, yet unaware of the reason. Pang Anchang said, "The child had already exited the uterus (womb), but one hand mistakenly grasped the mother's intestines, preventing detachment. Thus, although medication was administered, it was of no benefit. Just now, I palpated through the intestines to locate the child's hand and acupunctured his Hegu point (LI4, Tiger's Mouth). The child, feeling pain, immediately withdrew his hand, allowing for rapid delivery. There is no other trick." They examined the infant and found needle marks on the Tiger's Mouth area of the right hand. Such was its efficacy (from *Bozhai Bian*).

Acupuncture at the root of the nail on the outer side of the thumb, regardless of gender or left/right side, using ordinary household needles, inducing bleeding yields immediate effect. In critical emergencies, needling both thumbs' outer nail roots yields remarkable results (from *Geng Zhi*).

Bianshi refers to needles made of stone. The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* states: "On Mount Gao, there is stone resembling jade that can be used for needles; this is Bianshi."

The Inspector Xu Yi fell ill, and Hua Tuo went to visit him. Xu Yi told Hua Tuo, "Yesterday, Liu Zu, an official of the Medical Bureau, acupunctured the Weiguan point. Since then, I have suffered from coughing and cannot sleep peacefully." Hua Tuo said, "The acupuncture was improper; the liver was accidentally injured. Your food intake will decrease daily, and you will not survive within five days." This turned out exactly as Hua Tuo predicted (from *Records of the Three Kingdoms*).

The Nine Needles correspond to Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang: One corresponds to Heaven, Two to Earth, Three to Humanity, Four to the Four Seasons, Five to the Five Notes, Six to the Six Lyues (musical pitches), Seven to the Seven Stars, Eight to the Eight Winds, and Nine to the Nine Regions. The first needle treats the skin, the second the flesh, the third the vessels, the fourth the sinews, the fifth the bones, the sixth regulates Yin and Yang, the seventh nourishes Jing (Essence), the eighth dispels Wind, and the ninth opens the nine orifices and eliminates pathogens of the 365 solar terms. The first needle is the Chan needle, the second is the Yuan needle, the third is the Di needle, the fourth is the Feng needle, the fifth is the Pi needle, the sixth is the Yuanli needle, the seventh is the Hao needle, the eighth is the Chang needle, and the ninth is the Da needle.