The new 1-alkyl-4-(10-oxo or -hydroxy-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5-ylidene)-piperidine compounds are prepared from the corresponding 10-desoxy compounds having a double bond at the 10,11-position by a process involving bromination, dehydrobromination of the resulting dibromo compound, followed by enamine formation and hydrolysis to give the desired 10-oxo compound. The compounds prepared in this manner are active as antihistamines and as appetite stimulants.
Method for stimulating appetite