Dissecting Data: History of Data as History of the Body

I met my cadaver before I had met most of my classmates. Like many medical students, I was glad to have anatomy as the first block of medical school. But my reasons were different: Always a bit squeamish, I figured it was better to discover if I was not cut out for medicine early on—before I was in too deep. Over seven weeks, we systematically dissected our assigned cadaver, dutifully following each blade stroke as spelled out in Grant's Dissector. We started with the heart. The face, covered by a damp cloth during the earlier stages of dissection, was saved for the last day. The ostensible reason for this concealment was utilitarian: To prevent the face from desiccating. But I suspect its more significant function, if not aim, was that of depersonalization.