Benvolio tries to convince Romeo to get over his love sickness by finding a new girlfriend. According to his logic, one fire burns out another, a new pain lessens a current one, and a new eye infection relieves the one now bothering you. Romeo seizes on Benvolio's last metaphor and jokes, "A plantain leaf is excellent for that." The plantain being referred to is a small herbal plant that grows in England and whose leaves were used for medicinal purposes. (It should not be confused with the fruit that shares the same name.) But Benvolio doesn't understand and asks what the leaves are excellent for. Romeo replies that they are good for a broken shin, which is slang for a broken heart. Still not understanding Romeo’s joke, Benvolio asks if Romeo’s insane.