long as there is a substantial excess excess dimethylamine should be present throughout the addition or formation of the phosphonium halide reagent the reaction is preferably conducted under an inert atmosphere which effectively excludes moisture the recovery of the nizatidine product from the reaction mixture is simply accomplished by acidification and solvent extraction of the non basic materials under acidic conditions followed by basification and solvent extraction of the nizatidine product under basic conditions the intermediate product for reaction with the phosphonium bromide reagent n 2 2 hydroxymethyl 4 thiazolyl methyl thio ethyl n 39 methyl 2 nitro 1 1 ethenediamine of formula str2 is a novel compound and constitutes another aspect of the present invention it can be prepared by reacting 4 2 aminoethyl thio methyl 2 hydroxymethylthiazole of formula str3 itself preparable by reaction of 4 chloromethyl 2 hydromethylthiazole with cysteamine hydrochloride followed by 2 methylamino 2 methylthio 1 nitroethylene the compound 4 chloromethyl 2 hydroxymethylthiazole is also novel and forms an aspect of the present invention it can be prepared by acid hydrolysis of the corresponding 2 acetoxymethyl compound in addition the compounds 4 2 aminoethyl thio methyl 2 hydroxymethylthiazole and 2 acetoxymethyl 4 chloromethyl 4 hydroxythiazoline are novel compounds and constitute further aspects of this invention the invention is further.