The invention comprises compounds of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/1> wherein X is attached to the 3- or 4-position and is a methyleneoxy, mono- or di-alkylmethyleneoxy, methyleneamino or mono-, di- or tri-alkylmethyleneamino group, wherein the oxygen or nitrogen atom is attached to the benzene ring, or a carbonyl group or a methylene group optionally having as a first substituent a halogen atom or a hydroxy, alkyl or alkoxy group and as a second substituent a halogen atom or an alkyl or alkoxy group, and Y is an amino, mono- or di-alkylamino, ureido, alkylureido or mono- or dihydroxyalkyl group, and the corresponding compounds containing in the 3-position, if full, a haloalkyl, alkanoylamino, ureido, alkylureido, carbamoyl or alkylcarbamoyl group, the alkyl and alkanoyl groups in all cases having up to seven carbon atoms, acid addition salts thereof, and their preparation removal of the groups R1 from a corresponding compound of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/2> wherein R1 is an arylakoxycarbonyl or alkanoyl group, by hydrogenolysis or hydrolysis; (b) hydrogenation of a compound of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/3> wherein R2 is a hydrogen atom or a group R1 and, wherein R2 is a group R1, splitting this off by hydrogenolysis or hydrolysis; or (c) interconversion of acid addition salts.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/4> wherein X is a carbonyl group, and the corresponding substituted compounds are prepared by reacting 1,4-bis-(dichloromethyl) benzene with sodium acetate in glacial acetic acid to form 4-chloromethylbenzyl acetate, reacting this with aqueous potassium cyanide to form (p-hydroxymethylphenyl) acetonitrile, reacting this with p-nitroso-N,N-dimethyl aniline to form an azomethine compound which with hydrochloric acid forms p-hydroxymethylbenzoyl cyanide, saponifying this, followed by treatment with thionyl chloride to form (p-chloromethylphenyl)-glyoxylyl chloride, reacting this with an appropriate amino-compound to form a carbamoylcarbonyl- or allophonoylcarbonyl-benzyl chloride, and condensing this with the sodium salt of a 1,2-bis-aralkoxycarbonyl- or alkanoy1-2-methylhydrazine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/5> wherein X is a carbonyl group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared from the carbamoylcarbonyl- or allophanoylcarbonyl-benzyl chloride obtained above by a Sommelet reaction to form the corresponding substituted benzaldehyde, and condensing this with an optionally-protected methyl hydrazine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/6> wherein X is a hydroxymethylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by (a) treatment of p-hydroxymethylbenzaldehyde with hydrogen cyanide to form the cyanhydrin, saponification in the presence of concentrated hydrochloric acid to form p-chloromethyl mandelic acid, alkanoylating this and forming the acid halide with thionyl chloride, reacting this with an amine to form a (carbamoylalkanoyloxymethyl -) or (allophanoylalkanoyloxymethyl-) benzyl chloride, and condensing this with the sodium salt of a 1,2-protected 2-methylhydrazine, followed by mild alkaline hydrolysis; or (b) condensation of [(carbamoyl or allophanoyl) carbonyl] benzyl chloride with the sodium salt of a 1,2-bisalkanoyl - 2 - methylhydrazine, followed by catalytic reduction.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/7> wherein X is a halomethylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared from the corresponding hydroxymethylene compounds by reaction with a thionyl halide.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/8> wherein X is a methylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by condensation of 1,4-bis-chloromethyl-benzene with the sodium salt of a protected 2-methylhydrazine to form a 1,2 - bis - (arylalkoxycarbonyl - or alkanoyl -) 1 - (4 - chlormethyl - benzyl -) - 2 - methylhydrazine, replacing the chlorine atom by a cyano-group with potassium cyanide, converting the cyano-group to a carboxy group by alcoholic hydrochloric acid and aqueous alkali, converting this to the acid chloride with thionyl chloride, and reacting this with an appropriate amine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/9> wherein X is an alkylmethylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by saponification of (p-hydroxymethylphenyl) acetonitrile with alkali to the acid, acetylating the hydroxy-group and forming the ethylester, reacting this with an alkyl halide in the presence of ammoniacal sodium to form an ethyl (p - acetoxymethyl - phenyl -) a  - alkylacetate or a ,a -dialkyl acetate, saponifying this and treating with thionyl chloride to form the corresponding (p - chloromethylphenyl) - a -alkyl - or a ,a  - dialkyl - acetyl chloride, followed by reaction with an amine and condensation with the sodium salt of a 1,2-protected-2-methylhydrazine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/100> wherein X is an alkylmethylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by conversion of a [(carbamoyl or allophanoyl-)-alkyl- or dialkyl-methyl] benzyl chloride by the Sommelet reaction to the corresponding substituted benzaldehyde, and condensing this with an optionally protected 2-methyl hydrazine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/111> wherein X is an alkoxy-methylene group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared from p-chloromethyl-mandelic acid by conversion to the ethyl ester, conversion by the Sommelet reaction to ethyl-p-formyl mandelate, saponification, treatment with thionyl chloride and reaction with an amine to form the appropriate p-[(carbamoyl- or allophanoyl-) chloromethyl] benzoaldehyde, replacing the chlorine atom by an alkoxy group by reaction with an alkali metal alcoholate, and condensation with an optionally protected 2-methylhydrazine.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/122> wherein X is a methyleneoxy group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by (a) condensing p-hydroxybenzaldehyde under alkaline conditions with a haloacetamide to form a p-[(carbamoyl or allophanoyl) methoxy] benzaldehyde, reducing the aldehyde group with sodium borohydride to a hydroxymethyl group, forming the corresponding chloromethyl compound with thionyl chloride, and condensing this with a 1,2-protected-2-methylhydrazine; or (b) reacting p-benzyloxy benzyl chloride with the sodium salt of a 1,2-bis - alkanoyl - 2 - methylhydrazine and hydrogenating the product to give a 1,2-bis-alkanoyl-1 - p - hydroxybenzyl - 2 - methylhydrazine, and reacting this with a haloacetamide.  Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/133> wherein X is a methyleneamino group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by the methods described above for the corresponding methyleneoxy compounds, starting with (a) p-aminobenzaldehyde or an N-substituted derivative thereof; or (b) p-nitrobenzyl chloride or p-phenylazobenzyl chloride, the amino-group being formed by reduction in the hydrogenation step. Starting materials of formula <FORM:1014160/C2/144> wherein X is an Nialkyl-methyleneamino group, and the corresponding substituted compounds, are prepared by condensing p-aminobenzaldehyde with an aldehyde to form a Schiff's base, and reducing this and reacting the product as in method (a) for the corresponding methyleneamino compounds.  The compounds of the invention have antistatic activity and may be used in pharmaceutical compositions in combination with a carrier, for example in forms suitable for oral, parenteral or rectal administration, such as tablets, granules, capsules, dragees, solutions, suspensions, emulsions or suppositories.