What is Dan using for antiseptic and for anesthetic?

June is a month of plenty with ripening corn, sweet yams and sugar cane molasses to eat and new corn whiskey to taste before aging. The whiskey's high alcohol content is useful right away as antiseptic but not anesthetic. July begins a project for medical practice with hypnotism that Alice suggests Dan use for anesthesia. She reads to him to conserve his eyes in the dim light. Dan learns and practices on Helen and the others. Children are quick subjects but Randy and Sam are difficult. Timing is excellent since Ben gets appendicitis and Dan hypnotizes him for surgery on the billiard table with tools gathered for Malachai.