One young woman's tribute describes unwrapping her cadaver's hands and being brought up short by the realization that the nails were painted pink. The pictures in the anatomy atlas did not show nail polish, she wrote. Did you choose the color? Did you think that I would see it? I wanted to tell you about the inside of your hands. I want you to know you are always there when I see patients. When I palpate an abdomen, yours are the organs I imagine. When I listen to a heart, I recall holding your heart.
In Mary Roach's "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers," a poignant moment occurs when a young woman encounters the cadaver she is studying. As she unwraps the hands, she is surprised to find them adorned with pink nail polish, provoking a deep emotional response. This discovery leads her to reflect on the individuality of the person behind the anatomy, questioning whether the deceased chose that color and considering their presence in her medical practice.
The young woman's tribute emphasizes the intimate connection between the cadaver and the living. She expresses a desire to convey the essence of the deceased by acknowledging how she carries their memory into her work. Each time she examines a patient, the hands of the cadaver come to mind, expressing how life and death intertwine in the practice of medicine. This narrative illustrates the profound respect and humanity that can be found in the study of anatomy.
