aralkyl and x is hydrogen hydroxy or lower alkanoyloxy are useful as antibacterial agents application_number US 54232975 A description the various groups represented by the symbols have the meanings defined below and these definitions are retained throughout this specification the lower alkyl groups are straight or branched chain hydrocarbon radicals having one to eight carbons in the chain for example methyl ethyl propyl isopropyl butyl isobutyl n butyl t butyl amyl or the like the aryl groups are monocyclic carbocyclic aryl groups including simply substituted members by way of illustration this includes the phenyl ring and simply substituted phenyl containing one to three substituents r 5 preferably only one such as the halogens chlorine and bromine being preferred lower alkyl groups such as those defined above lower alkoxy groups i e lower alkyl of the type defined above attached to an oxygen hydroxy carboxy and the like in the case of the last two named substituents there is preferably only one especially in the para position of the phenyl illustrative are phenyl o m and p chlorophenyl o m and p bromophenyl 3 4 dichlorophenyl 3 5 dibromophenyl o m and p tolyl p methoxyphenyl 3 4 5 trimethoxyphenyl p hydroxyphenyl p carboxyphenyl and the like the aralkyl groups include a monocyclic carbocyclic aryl group attached to a lower alkyl group both as defined above illustrative are benzyl o m or p chlorobenzyl o m or p bromobenzyl o m or p methylbenzyl.