MAIHEAI, or MAIM, signifies a corpo ral wound or hurt by which a man loseth the use of any member.
By the old common law, castration was punished with death, and other members with the loss of member for member ; but of latter clays, maihem was punisha• ble only by fine and imprisonment. If a man attack another with an intent to mur der him, and he does not murder the man, but only maim him, the offence is nevertheless a capital felony within the statute 22 and 23 Charles II. c. 1, usually called the Coventry Act.
And by a late statute, 44 Geo. III. c. 58, if any person shall, either in England or Ireland, wilfully, maliciously, and unlaw fully, shoot at any of his Majesty's sub jects, or wilfully, maliciously, and unlaw, fully present any kind ofloaded fire-arms at any one, and attempt to discharge the same at him, or wilfully, maliciously, and unlawfully stab or cut any of his Majesty's subjects, with intent in so doing, or by means thereof to murder or rob, or to maim, disfigure, or disable him, or with intent to do some other grievous bodily harm to him, or to obstruct, resist, or prevent the lawful apprehension and de.
tauter of the person so stabbing or cutting, or of any of his accomplices, for any of fence for which they may be liable to be detained, or shall wilfully, &c. administer poison with intent to murder, or to pro cure the miscarriage of any woman quick with child, he shall be guilty of felony, and suffer death. But in case of level ling fire-arms, or cutting and maiming as aforesaid, if it shall if death had ensued, the 'party would not have been guilty of murder, then the defen dant shall be acquitted.
A person who maims himself that be may have the more colour to beg, or that he may not be impressed, may be indicted and fined.