3-Hydroxymethylindoles substituted with methyl and phenyl groups on the pyrrole ring have been prepared by the reduction of the corresponding 3-indole aldehydes with sodium borohydride. These compounds, which are vinylogs of carbinolamines, were reduced to the corresponding 3-methyl derivatives with lithium aluminum hydride only when the indole nitrogen was unsubstituted. The ease with which they split out formaldehyde to yield 3, 3'- ...
