Cincinnati’s Institute of St. Thomas

A friend who is an ardent patriot of Cincinnati sent along this wonderful tidbit from American Catholic history:

The Institutum Divi Thomae was founded in 1935 by Dr. George Sperti and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The institute was a graduate school for scientific research. Dr. Sperti served as the director of the institution and it was supported through the profits of his research and inventions. Among many of the advancements at the institute were Aspercreme, Preparation H, methods to freeze-dry orange juice, a sunlamp to enhance vitamin D in milk, and a burn ointment. In his lifetime Dr. Sperti held more than 120 patents. The institute closed in 1988 when Dr. Sperti became ill.

He also pointed out that Google has yet to scan the Institute’s studies, which it labels as “Juvenile Nonfiction.”

Sperti’s original Preparation H formula is no longer sold in America (but is in Europe and Canada) because the FDA raised concerns about Bio-Dyne, a yeast-derived “magic ingredient” that some users claim heals burns and tightens aging skin.