I. THE PERSON WHO DOES NOT SLEEP
Ivan Stepanovich Wagner, professor of the 1st Moscow university of department of biology, is known to the scientific colleagues as exclusively versatile mind, the talented inventor and the courageous experimenter long ago. Wagner became known to wide public only five years ago when he had to act as the defendant on so-called «dog matter» in national court.
I kept newspapers of that time. Here is how in one of them the correspondent who was present at court describes appearance of professor Wagner:
«In his nutbrown hair, a broad fair-haired beard and the hung moustaches it was possible to notice only a few silvery hairs. Fresh complexion, rosy cheeks and shining eyes spoke about health. It could not give more than forty years».
And at this time to professor Wagner was for fifty.
He was accused of kidnapping of dogs for production of scientific experiences. In court very interesting circumstances became clear. It appears, professor Wagner invented means for fatigue, and also means against a dream; the dream, according to professor, represents a disease.
Wagner delivered to himself a task to capture bigger amount of knowledge, than that which can contain a human brain. And professor achieved it that, without needing rest and a dream, he could work nearly twenty four hours a day. Besides, by a training it developed ability to think both halves of a brain independently one from another. His eyes moved also independently one from another, and Wagner could watch, thus, several phenomena at once. He could write with at the same time right and left hand…
All this and many other things became clear on «dog process», and the name of professor Wagner became known to the public reading newspapers at once. It and was called: «The person who does not sleep».
I was one of those which became interested in professor Wagner. I very much wanted to get acquainted with it. The case came to the rescue of me. I got acquainted with Wagner in the Crimea, in Simeiz, we had with it some of the most interesting conversations.