Fortification Spectra in Migraine Aura: Historical Origins of the Vauban Eponym

Abstract

The fortification spectra—zigzag visual patterns often preceding migraine attacks—have long intrigued both patients and physicians. Popularized by English astronomer Hubert Airy (1838-1903) in 1870, these luminous phenomena were likened to a “fortified town,” a metaphor that entered medical parlance. While British neurologist William Gowers (1845-1915) is frequently credited with associating these visual auras with the angular bastions of the fortress designs by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), historical evidence suggests the eponym originated earlier in French medical literature. Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893), in a series of lectures from 1887 to 1888, vividly described his own and his patients’ experiences of scintillating scotomas as resembling Vauban-style fortifications, complete with projecting and re-entrant angles. His assistant, Charles Féré (1852-1907), further reinforced the analogy in 1892, describing migraine-induced visual phenomena as luminous discs evolving into toothed wheels or semi-crowns of fortifications. The metaphor gained broader recognition through its inclusion in the 1890 edition of Pierre Larousse’s Grand Dictionnaire Universel. This historical article clarifies the origins of the Vauban eponym in migraine aura, highlighting its French roots and the rich interplay between neurology, metaphor, and military architecture.