Indenyl imidazoles

The invention provides 4(5)-substituted imidazole derivatives of formula and their acid addition salts, in which either X is -CH2- and R1 is -CN, -COOH, COO(lower alkyl), -CHO, -CO (lower alkyl), lower alkyl of 3 to 5 carbon atoms, lower alkenyl, or lower (hydroxy alkyl) or X is -@@CH2R)-, -C(:CH-R)- or -CH(CH2R)-, where R is hydrogen or lower alkyl, and R1 is lower alkyl, and R3 and R4 are each hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, methoxy, or halogen, and novel intermediates and processes for their preparation. These compounds, in particular when R1 is lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, or lower (hydroxy alkyl), possess valuable pharmacological properties and are useful especially as selective alpha 2-receptor antagonists.