Lashes as a punishment have been used throughout history in various cultures and contexts. Here are some key points from the search results:

• Lashes are a form of corporal punishment administered with a whip or rod, with blows commonly directed to the persons back.
• In Judaism, lashes may be given for offenses that do not merit capital punishment, and may not exceed 40. However, in the absence of a Sanhedrin, corporal punishment is not practiced in Jewish law. Halakha specifies the lashes must be given in sets of three, so the total number cannot exceed 39.
• In Saudi Arabia, lashing is a legal punishment for a variety of offenses, and sentences can range from a few dozen to several thousand lashes. Women are given 20 to 30 lashes at a time, while men may receive up to 50 lashes per session.
• The severity of lashes as a punishment depends on the force and frequency of the blows. In Saudi Arabia, the punishment is usually broken up into weekly bouts of 50 lashings each, which is unlikely to cause death. However, more forceful whippings, like those often administered to slaves in pre-Civil War America, are much more dangerous and have the potential to cause permanent damage to the internal organs and muscles, severe blood loss, shock, and maybe death.
• During the 19th century, imprisonment gradually replaced corporal penalties as a punishment for crime, but the courts retained the power to order whippings in cases involving violent crimes.
• The United Nations has declared lashing a cruel and inhumane punishment tantamount to torture.

In summary, lashes as a punishment involve administering blows with a whip or rod, usually directed to the persons back. The severity of the punishment depends on the force and frequency of the blows, and it can range from a few dozen to several thousand lashes. While it is still used as a legal punishment in some countries, it has been widely criticized as cruel and inhumane.