(although primitive) on certain sexually transmitted diseases on the Maltese Islands. Even though Prof. Robert Samut was busy with this position, he still paid house calls to his patients. The period following the First World War, and even more so with the events that led the 1919 Sette Gugnio riots, many of the Floriana residents were poor and he would treat them for free. Maltese National Anthem While studying in Edinburgh he had once been asked to sing the Maltese Anthem, and the fact that Malta did not have one, induced him to do something about it. He wrote some simple notes, however the pressure of his work made him forget about them. Then one day in the early 1920s having been asked by Albert Laferla, his brother-in-law, the then Director of Elementary Schools, to compose a hymn for school children, he remembered his notes, and used them to compose the present hymn. Thus Samut became one of those who gave Malta its national identity. Dr. Laferla then took that music to the National Poet Dun Karm, who wrote the verses. It is reported that Dun Karm had stated that this was not the usual practice, as normally music was composed to the verses and not vice versa. Nevertheless, a beautiful prayer to God from the Maltese people saw the light of day. The hymn was subsequently donated to the people of Malta. Later years In 1922 Samut was promoted to Lt. Colonel, but by now he was feeling the effects of the virus he contracted from the autopsy and his health was failing. He became an invalid and suffered his sickness till his death. In the meantime the ball that he had started rolling was gathering momentum. On Saturday, 3 February 1923, the "Innu Malti" was played for the first time in public during a concert at the Manoel Theatre. For a number of years the "Innu" was played only during 8 September celebrations. Then in 1936, the King's Own Band Club commissioned Mro. V. Ciappara to prepare a full score for the band, and played that hymn on 8 September of the same year. Other bands soon followed their example. In 1938 an English translation prepared by Miss M. Butcher appeared in the Times of Malta. Samut was not to see the growth of his music. He was taken to Australia with the hope that a long sea