To a stirred suspension of 1.08 g of sodium hydride (60% in mineral oil) in 50 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran was added over 33 minutes a solution of 6.6 g of 5-{7-[4-(4,5-dihydro-5-hydroxymethyl-2-oxazolyl)phenoxy]heptyl}-3-methylisoxazole (Example 23). The mixture was heated at gentle reflux for one hour, then cooled to room temperature, and 4.30 g of methyl iodide in 25 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran was added over a 15 minute period. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature, then filtered and concentrated in vacuo. The residue was washed with n-pentane and dissolved in ethyl acetate and the soluble portion isolated (6.31 g, m.p. 53°-55° C.). The latter was recrystallized from hexane to give 5.1 g of 5-{7-[4-(4,5-dihydro-5-methoxymethyl-2-oxazolyl)phenoxy]heptyl}-3-methylisoxazole, m.p. 60°-61° C.
