Jill Dyer

Not much touches a virus of any sort. . .and it also affects a wide variety of other plants, not just the nightshade family. If the tobacco mosaic virus is the problem, found this site which looks helpful, if not strictly Permie. (The first option sounds a lot like a commercial shampoo to me)  Otherwise, if it's just the potatoes at present, remove all the affected leaves and burn 'em, then see if the potatoes sprout back. NB WASH HANDS & TOOLS CAREFULLY AFTER THIS OPERATION!!!  
It may be as Judith B says above - the potatoes may be dying back because the tubers are ready to harvest.  Perhaps dig one up and check the tubers.

Hi Blake - tobacco virus can be transferred to other plants, particularly tomatoes and less likely potatoes, also eggplant and capsicums. From tools and hands of cigarette smokers usually or brushing against other infected plants.  Potatoes also have their own viruses, which may be your problem - worth some research.
Pictures can be added using the "Post a Reply" button, rather than the "Quick Reply"  this had me foxed at first, until the light dawned. 🤔

"Blessed are the Cheesemakers"  Monty Python,  'Life of Brian'
I like 'em all.  Particularly soft blue vein cheese,  feta - in a sandwich, in a salad, crumbled over a pizza, anything cheddar, though some are better than others, and I'm a sucker for goat cheese, marinated or not.  (Note: funny taste in goat cheese might be down to what the animals have been consuming, I know a weed Arctotheca calendula is known to taint milk, so there must be others)

I've used Euphorbia helioscopia  (Sun spurge) but as a direct application for a wart - and off it went. . . eventually.  The milky sap used here.
No experience with the other two, but neighbour's son was treated with high dose vitamin A (pills, by mouth) but under doctor's supervision.  Too much can be harmful.
I've used comfrey ointment for bruises, but have never been sure if it's the ointment or the massaging-in that does the trick.
Aloe vera for sunburn and generally for skin.

This parallels with coloured fleece in sheep, so I at least found it interesting.

Thank you for the diversion - I am down the rabbit hole again. . .
Should be the sound of a "squeezebox"  simple concertina in this site.  Used for sea shanties and folk songs apparently.
https://www.dartmoorlife.org.uk/the-squeeze-box-dartmoor-folk-music-audio-guide/
and I found templates for folding the bellows, but it was for paper construction.  I'll keep looking.

I don't know if this will help :- https://hmi.homewood.net/bellows/ and this one (which refers back to previous. . .) https://www.concertina.net/topic/16630-building-an-eco-concertina/
I hope you can make sense of the above - plenty of pictures in the first one and it goes onto a second "page".  Woodworking skills a definite advantage. . .and it seems they have reeds and other metal hardware lurking inside.    

From on top of out hill it's usually possible to see rain approaching, and if not seen, heralded by a swift drop in temperature a a wind. When the valley on the next door property fills with cloud that obscures some of the tree tops, I know there is about 10 minutes before it rains.  Especially hot days are signaled by the gum trees arranging their leaves for minimum exposure to the direct sun.   Other than that, unless the washing is destined for outside  drying, it's up to chance!  When we were kids, we relied on a pine cone hung outside for telling the weather - open in dry weather, closed in wet.  

Maybe not thistles as such but in the same family (Asteraceae) how about lettuce?   Also chicory and endive and the common sow thistle.  Worth a check through to ID the edibles amongst them, and it's recommended that they be picked young. Bon appetit!
Edit:- see also Judson Carroll's post  https://permies.com/t/373856/Spring-Forging-Cookbook-Wild-Grapes  also include an edible thistle

I've been surprised by how many people just don't look properly.  It's particularly noticeable in a beginner's art class.  Drawing things that can't be seen, like a table leg, invisible because of the perspective, for example.  [Very Impressionistic]  Perhaps it's a skill that needs to be taught.   I expect it was built in to our hunter gatherer ancestors!