Lithium aluminum hydride has been used successfully in the partial reduction of phthalic anhydride to phthalide, in the selective reduction of the carbonyl group of dehydroisoandrosterone-3-acetate, and in the reduction of oestrone acetate to α-oestradiol without simultaneous production of the β-isomer. A new reduction product of Δ5-3(β)hydroxyetiobilienic acid, Δ9,14-2,13-dimethyl-7(β)hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-1-hydroxyethyl dodecahydrophenanthrene, is also described.