A 12-year-old Irish girl who was passenger on a ship traveling from County Cork to Quebec vomited a worm which was over 7-foot long.

The ship's surgeon, P Power's, notes read " Complained yesterday evening of pain in the bottom of the belly increased on pressure, abdomen hard and swollen, picks her nose, starts in her sleep, bowels constipated, pyrexia, tongue foul, pulse quick, skin hot, great thirst.

"Her mother brought me a lumbricus (worm) this morning 87 inches [7.25ft] long which the patient vomited. The medicine operated well," according to reports from the Irish Examiner.

Ellen McCarthy, a passenger on an emigrant ship travelling to Quebec in June 1825, expelled three worms in total.

Her bizarre case came to light as more than 1,000 Royal Navy Medical Officer Journals were made available to the public at the National Archives in Kew.

The ship's surgeon, P Power, treated the 12-year-old with syrups and injections including barley water, calomel, jalap and brandy punch to restore her digestive system. However, he singled out a substance called oil of "terebouth", which is thought to be turpentine, that was most effective in treating her for worms.

Two days later, on June 15, the young girl became "very ill and feverish". The surgeon gave her senna, to act as a laxative. This made his patient pass a "great quantity of slimey matter."

Ellen complained for a pain in her abdomen as the days went on. Power wrote "Been very feverish thro’ the night and was at times delirious, tongue furred, teeth covered with a black crust".

On June 18 he administered the turpentine. He wrote "In the night she has one motion in which two worms were discovered one 13 and a half inches and the other seven.

"She is very weak and constantly moaning but the heat and fever is decreased and I entertain hopes if she is not too weak of an ultimate recovery."

Over the next days Power reported that she was ill, with dilated pupils and she was numb. However, Ellen improved and by June 29 Power reported that she was "convalescent".